SpaceX set a new record for rocket reuse with the launch of its 25th Falcon 9 mission on January 10, 2025, carrying 21 Starlink broadband satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities.

The first stage of the rocket successfully returned to Earth, landing on the drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Falcon 9’s upper stage continued to carry the satellites to low Earth orbit, Space.com has reported.

This launch marks SpaceX’s fifth Falcon 9 mission of 2025, with the Starlink constellation now comprising over 6,870 active satellites.

Written by B.C. Begley