SpaceX Rocket Achieves 10 Successful 'Recycled' Launches... "Maximum Goal Achieved"

Musk "No Limits to Rocket Reusability"
Starlink System Deployment Expected to Accelerate

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] SpaceX's reusable rocket, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster, has achieved its goal of being reused 10 times. SpaceX has reached its maximum target and is expected to continue pushing the limits of reuse experiments. The speed of building the Starlink system, which SpaceX plans to establish by launching thousands of small satellites, is also expected to accelerate.

According to specialized media such as SpaceNews on the 9th (local time), SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 60 Starlink satellites from the 40th launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida early that morning. About 9 minutes later, the first-stage booster successfully landed on a drone ship, marking its 10th reuse launch.

This booster (B1051) was first used in March 2019 for the uncrewed test flight 'Demo-1' of the crewed spacecraft 'Crew Dragon' and has since been reused for satellite launches including the SXM-7 satellite. Among these, six launches were for Starlink satellites, and it was launched again less than two months after its last launch on March 14, successfully completing its mission.

SpaceX stated that it has achieved its maximum goal and did not specify whether B1051 would immediately undertake its 11th launch, but it is highly likely to be launched again. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk emphasized the imminent 10th flight of B1051 during a press conference following the first use of a reused rocket for a crewed spacecraft launch on the 23rd of last month, stating, "There appears to be no clear limit to rocket reuse," and added, "We plan to continue reusing the Falcon 9 booster carrying Starlink satellites until we see failure."

In this launch, the Falcon 9 upper stage successfully deployed 60 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit about 65 minutes after launch. This increased the total number of Starlink satellites to approximately 1,550. With the continued success of Falcon 9 rocket reuse, the speed of building the Starlink system, which aims to deploy tens of thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit to establish an internet network, is expected to accelerate.