SpaceX continued its relentless pace of space missions on Tuesday night, May 6, 2025, by launching another 28 Starlink satellites aboard its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The launch took place at precisely 9:17 p.m. EDT (0117 GMT on May 7) from Launch Complex-40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, adding to the company’s ever-growing low Earth orbit satellite constellation. This mission marked SpaceX’s 53rd Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 36th dedicated Starlink deployment in 2025.
Smooth Flight and Successful Landing:
The reusable Falcon 9 first-stage booster, designated B1085, performed a flawless sequence of events, starting with main engine cutoff approximately 2.5 minutes into the flight, followed by stage separation and a retrograde burn to initiate its descent. As reported by Space.com, just about eight minutes after liftoff, the booster executed a smooth vertical landing on SpaceX’s drone ship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This was the seventh flight for B1085, which has previously supported two other Starlink missions among its launch resume.
The upper stage of the rocket continued its trajectory into low Earth orbit, and approximately one hour after launch, it successfully deployed the 28 Starlink satellites. These satellites will now undergo several days of orbital adjustments before integrating into the broader Starlink network.
Expanding the Starlink Mega-Constellation
With this deployment, the number of active Starlink satellites now exceeds 7,200, further strengthening the global reach of SpaceX’s broadband network. Designed to provide high-speed internet to underserved and remote areas, each compact Starlink satellite is equipped with large solar arrays and advanced communication technology.
Once fully positioned, these new satellites will begin beaming internet coverage to users across the globe, with the exception of some polar regions. The constellation plays a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide, particularly for rural and isolated communities with limited access to terrestrial internet infrastructure.
The May 6 launch illustrates SpaceX’s accelerated launch cadence, with more than one Starlink mission occurring per week on average. In addition to the prolific Falcon 9 missions, the company has also conducted two Starship test flightsthis year, showcasing its ambitions not just in broadband connectivity but also in deep space transportation and heavy-lift capabilities.
While SpaceX maintains its momentum in satellite launches, other significant missions are on the horizon. NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission, originally scheduled for 2024, has been rescheduled for 2025. This mission aims to study solar wind interactions with Earth’s magnetic field—a testament to the broader push in understanding and leveraging space for scientific and practical applications.