Get ready to witness history in the making! Today, SpaceX is set to shatter its own record with the 133rd Falcon 9 launch of the year, and you’re invited to watch it live. But here’s where it gets even more fascinating: this isn’t just any launch—it’s part of a relentless push to redefine what’s possible in space exploration. At 10:16 a.m. EDT (1416 GMT; 7:16 a.m. local California time), a Falcon 9 rocket, crowned with 28 Starlink internet satellites, will roar into the sky from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission marks the 133rd Falcon 9 flight of 2025, surpassing last year’s record and cementing SpaceX’s dominance in the launch industry. But here’s the part most people miss: this launch also ties SpaceX’s overall record of 138 missions in a single year, a feat first achieved in 2024. Is this the peak of SpaceX’s capabilities, or just the beginning of something even bigger? Let’s dive in.
SpaceX will broadcast the event live on its website and X account, starting five minutes before liftoff. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to launch a rocket—and land it safely—this is your chance to see it in action. Speaking of landings, here’s where it gets controversial: the Falcon 9’s first stage, designated booster 1075, is expected to return to Earth just 8.5 minutes after launch, touching down on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. This will be the booster’s 21st mission—a testament to SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology. But critics argue: Is this level of reuse sustainable, or are we pushing the limits too far? What do you think?
Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage will continue its journey, deploying the Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) about an hour after launch. These satellites are part of SpaceX’s ambitious plan to provide global internet coverage, but they’ve also sparked debates about space debris and the commercialization of orbit. And this is the part most people miss: just last Sunday (Oct. 19), SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 missions in a single day—one of which sent the 10,000th Starlink satellite into space. The other mission marked the 31st flight for a single Falcon 9 booster, setting a new record for rocket reuse. Is SpaceX revolutionizing space travel, or are we overlooking potential long-term consequences?
Today’s launch is just the latest in a string of milestones for SpaceX. From Falcon Heavy to Starship, the company continues to push boundaries. But with great innovation comes great responsibility. As we celebrate these achievements, it’s worth asking: What does this rapid pace of launches mean for our planet, our skies, and the future of space exploration?
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