SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on its 3rd mission of 2026 (video)

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SpaceX's third mission of 2026 is in the books.

A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 29 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday (Jan. 9) at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 GMT).

About 8.5 minutes later, the rocket's first stage landed in the Atlantic Ocean on the drone ship "Just Read the Instructions." It was the 29th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.

The Falcon 9's upper stage deployed the 29 satellites into low Earth orbit on schedule about 65 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX announced via X.

Starlink is by far the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. It currently consists of more than 9,400 active spacecraft, and that number is growing all the time.

Friday's launch was SpaceX's third of 2026. In 2025, the company launched 165 orbital missions, nearly three-quarters of them dedicated Starlink flights.