In a demonstration of its rapid launch cadence, SpaceX successfully launched another batch of Starlink internet satellites early this morning (Jan. 21), just five days after a test flight of its Starship megarocket ended in an explosion. The mission began at 12:24 a.m. EST (0524 GMT) when a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying 21 Starlink satellites into orbit. Shortly after launch, the rocket’s first stage returned to Earth, landing flawlessly on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Credit: SpaceX
This marked the eighth launch and landing for this particular Falcon 9 booster, which has now supported four Starlink missions among its eight flights.
This morning’s successful launch was SpaceX’s ninth Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and its 10th launch overall for the year. The company’s other mission was the much-anticipated seventh test flight of its Starship megarocket, which took place on Thursday (Jan. 16) from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
Mixed Results for Starship
The Starship test flight delivered a mix of progress and setbacks. The massive Super Heavy booster—Starship’s first stage—executed a dramatic return to the launch site, where it was caught by the “chopstick” arms of the launch tower. This milestone marked a major step in SpaceX’s efforts to develop fully reusable rockets.
However, the mission was marred by the explosion of Starship’s upper stage just 8.5 minutes after liftoff. Preliminary investigations suggest a propellant leak as the cause of the failure, though SpaceX has not yet confirmed the exact details.
Starship, which stands at nearly 400 feet tall, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. The vehicle is key to SpaceX’s plans to send humans to Mars and the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program. Thursday’s test was closely watched by industry experts and space enthusiasts eager to see progress on this groundbreaking spacecraft.
This morning’s launch marked yet another step forward for SpaceX’s Starlink initiative, which aims to provide high-speed internet access to underserved and remote regions worldwide. With today’s 21 satellites, SpaceX has added to its already vast Starlink constellation, which is now the largest in orbit.
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