SpaceX executed a dual milestone Thursday, launching 29 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:27 a.m. ET — just over an hour before its stock began trading on the NASDAQ for the first time.
The Falcon 9 rocket carried the batch of broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit, continuing the company's rapid buildout of its constellation. This mission, designated Starlink 10-54, marked another step toward global coverage, which SpaceX aims to complete within the next few years.
The launch window opened early Thursday, with no reported delays. The booster, B1080, completed its latest flight and is expected to land on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean, following the standard recovery profile for West Coast Starlink missions.
This deployment adds to a constellation that now numbers over 6,000 operational satellites, providing internet service to more than 4 million subscribers worldwide. The timing — coinciding with SpaceX's public listing — underscored the company's dual identity as both a launch provider and a satellite operator.
Some analysts question whether Starlink's rapid expansion can remain profitable given rising competition from Amazon's Project Kuiper and OneWeb, though SpaceX has not disclosed recent financial details for the satellite division.