SpaceX Falcon 9 booster set to break its own reuse record with 36th launch

SpaceX is preparing to launch one of its Falcon 9 boosters for a record 36th time early on July 9, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The rocket will carry 29 Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit, continuing the company's rapid expansion of its internet constellation. Space reported that the launch is scheduled for 5:25 a.m. EDT and will be viewable live.

"The previous record was set just a month earlier when the same booster flew for a 35th time." The rapid succession of milestones underscores SpaceX's aggressive push to maximize the reuse of its Falcon 9 fleet, a strategy that has dramatically lowered launch costs over the past decade.

"SpaceX is preparing to launch its most-flown Falcon 9 booster for a record-breaking 36th flight, supporting the Starlink 10-42 mission which will add 29 more broadband satellites to the company's growing low Earth orbit constellation of over 10,700 satellites." That constellation now exceeds 10,700 satellites, according to spaceflightnow.com, making Starlink the largest satellite network ever deployed and a dominant force in space-based internet services.

spaceflightnow.comSpaceX to launch Falcon 9 booster on record 36th flight for Starlink mission

The mission, designated Starlink 10-42, will be the latest in a long series of launches that have transformed low Earth orbit. With each reuse milestone, SpaceX continues to demonstrate the reliability and economic viability of orbital-class rocket reusability.