SpaceX Achieves Milestone with 100th Launch of 2025
Full Transcript
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on November 20th at 10:39 p.m. EST, marking SpaceX's 100th launch of the year. This milestone mission, designated Starlink 6-78, successfully carried 29 satellites for SpaceX's internet service, furthering the company's commitment to enhancing global internet access.
The launch took place amidst a foggy backdrop, showcasing the impressive capabilities of SpaceX's launch operations from Florida's Space Coast, which has seen a record-breaking 100 launches this year. According to Spaceflight Now, this surpasses the previous record of 93 launches set in 2024.
SpaceX is responsible for the majority of this year's launches, with 93 of the 100 coming from its Falcon 9 rocket. Other companies, including United Launch Alliance, contributed five launches, while Blue Origin conducted two flights of its New Glenn rocket.
The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster, B1080, successfully landed on the drone ship 'Just Read the Instructions' in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 365 miles downrange, marking its 23rd flight since its inaugural launch in 2023.
The deployment of the Starlink satellites was set for about one hour and five minutes post-launch, adding to the more than 9,000 satellites already in orbit. As reported by Space.com, SpaceX's achievement represents a significant increase in launch frequency, driven largely by its innovative, partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket.
The Eastern Range, managed by the Space Forces Space Launch Delta 45 wing, has become the busiest spaceport globally, facilitating more than a third of all orbital launches in 2025. This rapid advancement in launch frequency is a stark contrast to the past, where annual launches from Cape Canaveral and NASA's Kennedy Space Center rarely exceeded 25 in a year.
The ongoing success of SpaceX underscores its dominance within the aerospace industry and its pivotal role in the commercial satellite launch market. With a total of 149 Falcon 9 missions conducted in 2025, SpaceX has significantly outpaced previous records, with over 90 launches originating from Florida alone.
This milestone not only highlights SpaceX's operational capabilities but also emphasizes its strategic push to expand internet access globally, particularly through the Starlink initiative.