SpaceX added another 29 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to its growing constellation on Friday afternoon, with deployment confirmed just minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 10-38, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:06 p.m. EDT — and by the time most people finished lunch, the satellites were already in low Earth orbit.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number B1069, notched its 31st flight — a number that would have seemed implausible just a few years ago. After stage separation, the booster executed a precision landing on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean, keeping it in rotation for future missions.
SpaceX confirmed satellite deployment shortly after, closing out another textbook mission. The cadence of Starlink launches has become almost routine at this point, but a booster completing 31 flights is a meaningful engineering milestone — each reuse directly reduces the cost per satellite delivered to orbit. For more on SpaceX's launch program, see our SpaceX coverage.
Sarah focuses on Tesla Energy, SpaceX missions, and the broader Musk AI portfolio. Former data analyst in clean energy. Based in San Francisco.
Sources verified at publish time. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email editorial@basenor.com.
