SpaceX hits 400 launches of Falcon 9 rocket
The launch on November 27 at 0441 UTC was to deploy another batch of 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. The Falcon 9 took off from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, and the booster landed successfully on SpaceX's A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, marking the 375th booster landing.
The latter number is significant since the Falcon 9's impressive cadence is primarily driven by the need to build out the Starlink satellite constellation. The Falcon 9 was additionally used to launch satellites for rival constellation OneWeb and was booked by Amazon in 2023 to get some of its Project Kuiper broadband satellites into space.
The Falcon 9 has found favor with other commercial and public sector organizations too. In addition to being used to take cargo and crew to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA booked rides on the rocket for its spacecraft. In the last week, NASA announced that a Falcon Heavy would be used to launch its Dragonfly mission in 2028. The mission will consist of a rotorcraft lander, which will explore Saturn's moon Titan.
However, it hasn't all been plain sailing. The Falcon 9 was grounded several times this year, twice for issues with the second stage and once when the company experienced a rare mishap during an attempted landing of the first stage booster. One of the second-stage mishaps resulted in the loss of a Starlink payload.
