SpaceX Reaches 50th Launch of 2026, Deploys 25 More Starlink Satellites — Booster 1088 Marks 15th Flight

SpaceX reached its 50th orbital mission of 2026 on Sunday, April 26, when a Falcon 9 rocket launched 25 Starlink broadband satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The Falcon 9 lifted off at 10:37 a.m. EDT (1437 GMT; 7:37 a.m. local), and about eight minutes after launch the vehicle's first stage—booster 1088—successfully touched down on the SpaceX droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean. This flight marked the booster’s 15th launch and landing cycle.

Following stage separation, the Falcon 9 upper stage continued to deliver the 25 Starlink spacecraft into low Earth orbit. SpaceX confirmed via social media that the satellites were deployed on schedule a little more than 61 minutes after liftoff.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 25 Starlink satellites from California on April 26, 2026. It was SpaceX's 50th launch of the year. | Credit: SpaceX

Mission Highlights

• 25 Starlink broadband satellites successfully deployed into low Earth orbit.
• Booster 1088 completed its 15th launch-and-landing cycle.
• First-stage recovery occurred on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific.
• The Starlink constellation now includes nearly 10,300 active satellites.

Booster 1088 — Recent Flight History

Booster 1088 has supported a mix of national security, science and rideshare flights along with multiple Starlink missions. Recent missions include:

• NROL-126
• Transporter-12
• SPHEREx
• NROL-57
• 10 Prior Starlink Missions

What’s Next

All 50 of SpaceX's launches so far this year have used Falcon 9 vehicles. A Falcon Heavy mission carrying the ViaSat-3 F3 communications satellite had been scheduled for Monday, April 27, but was delayed by bad weather; SpaceX is now targeting April 29 for that launch, which would be Falcon Heavy’s first flight since October 2024.

Meanwhile, Starship — the heavy-lift vehicle SpaceX is developing for crewed lunar and Mars missions and other tasks — remains in test-flight mode. The company is preparing for Starship’s 12th suborbital test, which could take place as soon as next month.

With 50 launches completed by late April, SpaceX is on pace for roughly 160 orbital missions in 2026, slightly under last year’s record of 165 orbital launches. (SpaceX also conducted five suborbital Starship test flights in 2025, bringing its total liftoff count that year to 170.)

Note: Times are local and in EDT/GMT where indicated. Satellite counts and schedules are accurate as of the company’s announcements on and after April 26, 2026.