Catch SpaceX launching GALILEO L12 satellite mission

SpaceX launched a new Falcon 9 mission with the European Commission’s Galileo L12 mission to medium Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:34 p.m. ET and reached supersonic within a minute. With this mission, the company achieved another record 20th liftoff and landing.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/NolsTPxBBU

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 28, 2024

This is also monumental because the rocket has helped SpaceX to deploy more than 200 spacecraft under the Rideshare program and 13 Starlink missions.

This Falcon 9 first stage has launched ~200 spacecraft as part of our Rideshare program, supported 13 @Starlink missions to help connect people all around the world with high-speed, low-latency internet, sent a lunar lander to the Moon, and more. In total, this Falcon delivered… pic.twitter.com/IDul5eJIum

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 28, 2024

SpaceX has made performance enhancements to this booster to deliver payload into medium Earth orbit. Therefore, it counts as the last mission for the first stage booster.

The last time a first stage was expended during a Falcon 9 mission was 146 flights ago in November 2022. On most Falcon 9 missions, enough propellant remains in the first stage after stage separation to enable landing, recovery, and reuse on future missions.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Lifting off from from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Image Credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX says it is working toward qualifying its fleet of Falcon boosters and fairings to support 40 missions each. It will increase Falcon’s flight count and provide information on reusability.