SpaceX launched the first Starlink satellites of 2026 on a new Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 4 from Cape Canaveral, carrying 29 broadband relay units into low Earth orbit.

The satellites, part of Starlink Group 6-88, were successfully deployed about an hour after liftoff.

The Falcon 9’s first stage (Booster 1101) returned to Earth, landing on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.

SpaceX’s Starlink network now has nearly 9,500 active satellites, providing global broadband, including free service in Venezuela through February 3, Space.com has reported.

This marked SpaceX’s second launch of 2026 and its 595th overall since 2008.