SpaceX Logs 90th Falcon 9 Launch of 2026 as Starlink Fleet Nears 10,900 Satellites

SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink internet satellites on August 4, logging its 90th Falcon 9 flight of the year — a cadence that continues to redefine the launch industry.

The Launch

The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1:05 p.m. EDT (10:05 a.m. local time), carrying 24 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit, Space.com reported. It was the 90th Falcon 9 liftoff of 2026 and the 70th launch of the year devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, which now numbers nearly 10,900 satellites.

Reusability Records

The first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after launch, landing on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean. The flight marked the 34th mission for booster B1063 — just two flights shy of the Falcon 9 reuse record set last month on a different Starlink launch. The satellites were deployed into orbit about 61 minutes after liftoff.

A Bigger Story

The launch came hours before a landmark for the company: at 4:30 p.m. EDT, SpaceX hosted its first-ever public earnings webcast, covering the second quarter of 2026. SpaceX went public in mid-June in what was described as the largest IPO in history, and investors are now watching whether the launch cadence and Starlink's subscriber growth translate into public-market profits. If the 90-launch pace holds, SpaceX could exceed 100 Falcon 9 missions by year-end — a milestone no other orbital launch provider has come close to matching.