**SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket Launches for 125th Time in 2025**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | October 4, 2025, 10:18 AM*
SpaceX has reached a significant milestone this year by successfully launching its Falcon 9 rocket for the 125th time. The latest mission lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base yesterday at 10:06 AM EDT (7:36 PM IST).
The Falcon 9 carried a payload of 28 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), marking an important step in SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to expand its satellite internet constellation.
**Successful Booster Landing**
The rocket’s first stage made a flawless return to Earth, landing on SpaceX’s droneship, *Of Course I Still Love You*, stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This booster, designated B1097, completed its second launch and landing with this mission. Its previous flight was also a Starlink deployment, as noted in SpaceX’s mission descriptions.
**Expanding the Starlink Constellation**
More than 70% of Falcon 9 launches in 2025 have been dedicated to building Starlink, the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. Presently, over 8,500 active Starlink satellites orbit the Earth.
According to the European Space Agency, there are approximately 12,500 operational satellites of any kind currently in orbit. This means that two out of every three functional spacecraft in space today are Starlink satellites—a ratio that is expected to increase as the constellation continues to grow.
SpaceX’s rapid cadence of launches and satellite deployments cements its position as a dominant player in the global satellite internet arena.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/new-milestone-for-spacex-s-falcon-9-rocket/story
