Falcon 9 launch gaps stretch to 11 days as SpaceX prioritizes Starship
SpaceX deployed 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on Oct. 23, marking the 116th flight of the year and a clear slowdown in cadence.
By Adewale Rousseau ·
For internet users in rural areas and regions with limited infrastructure, the pace of new satellite coverage is slowing. SpaceX launched its 116th Falcon 9 rocket of 2026 on Oct. 23, a flight that came 11 days after the previous mission. This gap marks a sharp departure from the launch frequency that defined the rocket’s peak operational years.
The mission carried 27 Starlink Group 15-15 satellites into orbit. The rocket lifted off from Pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 3:48 p.m. local time. The payload fairing held the spacecraft until the three-minute mark of ascent. The first stage booster, designated B1063, separated from the upper stage after 2.5 minutes and landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You. This was the 36th landing for that specific booster, which previously carried NASA’s DART mission in November 2021.
The upper stage performed a final orbital insertion burn approximately 45 minutes after liftoff. Satellite deployment began 62 minutes after launch. The addition brings the total number of active Starlink spacecraft to more than 11,000. While the constellation continues to grow, the rate of new satellites entering orbit has decreased as SpaceX redirects engineering resources toward its Starship vehicle.
Starship is designed to carry the larger Version 3 Starlink satellites, which are too big for the Falcon 9 fairing. Once Starship begins operational flights, SpaceX plans to phase out the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy almost entirely. The 100th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, which flew from Cape Canaveral, was the final Starlink mission from Florida’s Space Coast. Similar reductions are now visible on the West Coast.
At its peak, Falcon 9 flew Starlink missions every two to three days. The most recent launch before Oct. 23 had occurred more than three weeks prior. In 2025, the rocket completed 165 launches, a record that will likely stand as the busiest year in its history. Current projections indicate the rocket will fly just under 150 missions by the end of 2026.
Source: Space.com
