On Friday, July 18, at 8:52 p.m., SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying 24 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. This was the second Falcon 9 mission from the California site in just five days, a pace that shows how SpaceX is expanding its Starlink internet network aggressively. The mission was handled by a first-stage booster, which is on its 14th flight, proving how SpaceX has taken rocket reusability since its first landing back in 2015.
After stage separation, the booster landed smoothly on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean. Because the landing was offshore, there was no astonishing thing for local residents.
Why SpaceX Is Ramping Up Starlink Launches
Along with putting satellites in space, these missions solidify Starlink as a dominant player in satellite broadband. Starlink already operates a constellation of more than 7,578 satellites, with thousands more planned. Each launch like this helps fill gaps in coverage, boost speeds in crowded regions, and expand service into areas where ground-based internet can’t compete.
For SpaceX, Starlink isn’t merely another project. It’s becoming the company’s largest revenue source, reportedly bringing in over $11.8 billion annually by mid-2025. That number is expected to climb as SpaceX signs government contracts and continues attracting subscribers in rural markets across North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.
But SpaceX isn’t alone in this race. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is preparing for its first operational launches, with a planned constellation of more than 3,000 satellites. OneWeb, now merged with Eutelsat, is also aiming to grow its broadband presence, by focusing on enterprise and government customers.
In 2020, SpaceX was introducing just one Starlink launch per month. By 2023, the company hit 96 orbital missions in a single year, most of them dedicated to Starlink. In 2025, they’re on track to exceed 130 launches, a number that would have seemed impossible just a decade ago.
Each reused booster helps make that pace sustainable. Friday’s mission marked another step in showing how 14-flight boosters are now routine. With lowering launch costs and keeping Starlink’s expansion profitable they are scaling up.
What’s Next for Starlink and SpaceX?
SpaceX isn’t slowing down, more launches from Vandenberg and Florida’s Cape Canaveral are expected in the coming weeks, as the company works toward its goal of tens of thousands of satellites over the next decade. Starlink is also expanding into maritime, aviation, and military contracts, giving SpaceX multiple revenue streams as competitors try to catch up.
Starlink’s rapid growth has already started to impact traditional telecom companies, especially in remote regions where fiber and 5G rollouts are expensive. Analysts believe that as Starlink scales, it could force traditional providers to drop prices or improve service quality in markets. It shows how normal Falcon 9 missions have become, something that once made global headlines is now happening multiple times a week.
It also shows why SpaceX remains far ahead of its rivals. While Amazon and OneWeb prepare to scale up, SpaceX is already cementing Starlink as a globally operational, money-making network, with each batch of satellites strengthening its market position. SpaceX streamed the launch live on its X account and X TV app. Viewers watched as the Falcon 9 lifted off, vanished into the night sky, and the booster landed safely on a droneship at sea. For SpaceX, this was routine, another step in building a satellite network that’s reshaping global internet access.
