SpaceX has officially hit a major milestone in its satellite internet program, completing its 300th Starlink launch. On Saturday, September 13, at 10:55 a.m. PT/1:55 p.m. ET, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 24 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit.
The mission’s first stage booster was flying for the 28th time — setting yet another record for reuse in the process. The booster had previously supported a mix of classified NRO missions, commercial payloads like SWOT and SARah-1, and no fewer than 17 earlier Starlink launches. Following stage separation, the booster successfully landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
Residents in nearby Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may have heard sonic booms from the mission, though the experience depended heavily on weather and atmospheric conditions at the time of launch.
The 300th Starlink launch comes as the service continues to expand aggressively around the world. Starlink recently surpassed seven million users across 150 countries and territories, as SpaceX pushes to make satellite broadband faster and more accessible. Earlier this week, the company slashed the price of its Standard kit in select U.S. regions to an all-time low of $89 — down from $349 earlier this year and $599 a year ago. In addition, new customers can take advantage of lower monthly fees depending on their service area.
Looking ahead, SpaceX is preparing to begin launching its third-generation Starlink satellites, or V3 units, aboard its under-development Starship rocket. The next-gen satellites are expected to deliver higher throughput and expanded coverage, with launches potentially starting as early as next year.
With its 300th mission complete, SpaceX shows no signs of slowing down its Starlink buildout. As the network grows, millions more around the globe are expected to gain access to high-speed, low-latency internet in the coming years.
