List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches (2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In 2023, SpaceX launched 96 Falcon family vehicles—91 Falcon 9 and five Falcon Heavy rockets. It surpassed both the company's own single-year launch record of 61 and the global annual record of 64 launches, coming close to its previously announced goal of 100 Falcon launches in the year.[1][2]
The company's payload delivery capacity also rose, with approximately 1,200 tonnes (2,600,000 lb) sent to orbit.[3]
Rocket configurations
Launch sites
Launch outcomes
Launches
January
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 195 | January 3, 2023 14:56[4] |
F9 B5 B1060‑15 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Transporter-6 (115 payload smallsat rideshare) | Unknown[c] | SSO | Various | Success | Success (LZ‑1) |
| Dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission to Sun-synchronous orbit.[5] It included six space tugs, also known as orbital transfer vehicles (OTV), which are two of D-Orbit's ION Satellite Carriers, Epic Aerospace's Chimera LEO 1, Momentus's Vigoride-5, Skykraft's OTV and Launcher's Orbiter SN1.[6][7] Orbiter SN1 failed shortly after deployment from Falcon and before deploying payloads. One of the payloads, EWS RROCI failed to deploy from Falcon 9 and the satellite re-entered with the upper stage.[8] This was not a SpaceX failure as brokered dispensers and deployers are used on Transporter missions.[9] | |||||||||
| 196 | January 10, 2023 04:50[10] |
F9 B5 B1076‑2 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | OneWeb 16 (40 satellites) | 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) | Polar LEO | OneWeb | Success | Success (LZ‑1) |
| Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, OneWeb suspended launches on Soyuz rockets.[11] In March 2022, OneWeb announced that they had signed an agreement with SpaceX to resume satellite launches.[12] This flight, the 16th of the OneWeb program and the second on a SpaceX rocket, carried 40 satellites.[13][14][15] | |||||||||
| FH 5 | January 15, 2023 22:56[16] |
Falcon Heavy B5 B1070 (core) |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | USSF-67 (CBAS-2 & LDPE-3A) | ~3,750 kg (8,270 lb) | GEO | USSF | Success | No attempt |
| B1064‑2 (side) | Success (LZ‑2) | ||||||||
| B1065‑2 (side) | Success (LZ‑1) | ||||||||
| First launch of Phase 2 US Air Force contract. US$316 million cost for the fiscal year of 2022, for the first flight,[17] mostly includes the cost of an extended payload fairing, upgrades to the company's West Coast launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and a vertical integration facility required for NRO missions, while the launching price does not increase.[18] SpaceX deliberately expended the center core, which thus lacked grid fins and landing gear, while the two side-boosters were recovered at Landing Zones 1 and 2, and it was the fourth second stage featuring Falcon long coast mission-extension kit as the mission requirements are same as the USSF-44 mission.[19] | |||||||||
| 197 | January 18, 2023 12:24[20] |
F9 B5 B1077‑2 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | USA-343 (GPS-III SV06) | 4,352 kg (9,595 lb) | MEO | USSF | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Global Positioning System navigation satellite, sixth GPS Block III satellite to be launched, named after Amelia Earhart. Space vehicle manufacturing contract awarded February 2013.[21] In September 2018, the space vehicle was integrating harnesses.[22] In March 2018, the Air Force announced it had awarded the launch contract for three GPS satellites to SpaceX.[23][24][25] | |||||||||
| 198 | January 19, 2023 15:43[26] |
F9 B5 B1075‑1 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-4 (51 satellites) | 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 51 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 199 | January 26, 2023 09:32[27] |
F9 B5 B1067‑9 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-2 (56 satellites) | ~17,400 kg (38,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This was the heaviest payload to date flown on Falcon 9.[28] | |||||||||
| 200 | January 31, 2023 16:15[29] |
F9 B5 B1071‑7 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-6 (49 satellites) | ~15,200 kg (33,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| ION SCV009 | D-Orbit | ||||||||
| Launch of 49 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation. Also carried D-Orbit's ION SCV009 "Eclectic Elena."[30][31][32] | |||||||||
February
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | February 2, 2023 07:58[29] |
F9 B5 B1069‑5 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Starlink: Group 5-3 (53 satellites) | 16,500 kg (36,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 53 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 202 | February 7, 2023 01:32[33] |
F9 B5 B1073‑6 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Amazonas Nexus | 4,146 kg (9,140 lb) | GTO | Hispasat | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| A high-throughput telecommunications satellite.[34][35] Hosted payloads included USSF Pathfinder 2[36] and Tele Greenland A/S's GreenSat.[37][38] | |||||||||
| 203 | February 12, 2023 05:10[39] |
F9 B5 B1062‑12 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-4 (55 satellites) | 17,100 kg (37,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 55 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation.[40] A fairing half on this mission was flown and recovered for a record 8th time.[41] This launch marked a new pad turnaround record for SpaceX, launching 5 days, 3 hours and 38 minutes after the previous mission from SLC-40.[42] | |||||||||
| 204 | February 17, 2023 19:12[39] |
F9 B5 B1063‑9 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-5 (51 satellites) | 15,900 kg (35,100 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 51 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation.[43] | |||||||||
| 205 | February 18, 2023 03:59[44] |
F9 B5 B1077‑3 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Inmarsat-6 F2 | 5,470 kg (12,060 lb) | GTO | Inmarsat | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Inmarsat maintained its launch option after a scheduled 2016 Falcon Heavy launch (a European Aviation Network satellite) was switched for an Ariane 5 launch in 2017.[45] This option could be used for launching Inmarsat-6B.[46] In February 2022, Inmarsat confirmed Inmarsat-6 F2 will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket.[47][48] The satellite reached the supersynchronous geostationary transfer orbit of 387 km × 41,592 km (240 mi × 25,844 mi) inclined at 27°.[49] | |||||||||
| 206 | February 27, 2023 23:13[50] |
F9 B5 B1076‑3 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-1 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation.[51][52][53] This mission marked the debut of the v2 mini satellites, a smaller version of the planned v2 satellites, which are to launch on the future Starship. The v2 mini is 2.4 times the mass of its v1.5 predecessor but provides four times the data capacity.[54] Unlike the v1.5, the tension rods that hold the v2 mini satellites together during launch, remain attached to the Falcon 9 second stage after deployment, reducing orbital debris.[55] This flight marked the 100th consecutive landing success of a Falcon 9 booster since February 16, 2021. | |||||||||
March
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 207 | March 2, 2023 05:34[56] |
F9 B5 B1078‑1 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Crew-6 (Crew Dragon C206.4 Endeavour) | ~13,000 kg (29,000 lb) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CTS) | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Last USCV launch out of original NASA award of six Crew Dragon missions, to carry up to four astronauts and 100 kg (220 lb) of cargo to the ISS, as well as feature a lifeboat function to evacuate astronauts from ISS in case of an emergency.[57][58] | |||||||||
| 208 | March 3, 2023 18:38[50] |
F9 B5 B1061‑12 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-7 (51 satellites) | 15,900 kg (35,100 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 51 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation.[59] | |||||||||
| 209 | March 9, 2023 19:13[60] |
F9 B5 B1062‑13 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | OneWeb 17 (40 satellites) | 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) | LEO | OneWeb | Success | Success (LZ‑1) |
| Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, OneWeb suspended launches on Soyuz rockets.[11] In March 2022, OneWeb announced they had signed an agreement with SpaceX to resume satellite launches.[12][14] | |||||||||
| 210 | March 15, 2023 00:30[61] |
F9 B5 B1073‑7 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | SpaceX CRS-27 (Dragon C209.3) | 2,852 kg (6,288 lb) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Three more CRS Phase 2 missions for Dragon 2 covering up to CRS-29 were announced in December 2020.[62] This flight used a partial boostback burn to bring the first-stage booster to its drone ship closer to the coast. The maneuver was meant to cut down processing time by decreasing the time spent moving the ship back for refurbishment.[63][64][65] | |||||||||
| 211 | March 17, 2023 19:26[66] | F9 B5 B1071‑8 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-8 (52 satellites) | ~16,200 kg (35,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 52 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 212 | March 17, 2023 23:38[66] |
F9 B5 B1069‑6 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | SES-18 & SES-19 | ~7,000 kg (15,000 lb) | GTO | SES | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| SpaceX launched two C-band satellites for SES, with the option to launch a third satellite on a second flight.[67][68] SpaceX set a new record for the shortest time between two Falcon 9 launches at 4 hours and 12 minutes. The previous record time was 7 hours and 10 minutes, set between the Crew-5 and Starlink Group 4-29 missions on October 5, 2022. | |||||||||
| 213 | March 24, 2023 15:43[69] |
F9 B5 B1067‑10 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-5 (56 satellites) | ~17,400 kg (38,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation.[70] | |||||||||
| 214 | March 29, 2023 20:01[71] |
F9 B5 B1077‑4 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-10 (56 satellites) | ~17,400 kg (38,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This launch marked the first time SpaceX completed eight launches in a calendar month. | |||||||||
April
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 215 | April 2, 2023 14:29[72] |
F9 B5 B1075‑2 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | SDA Tranche 0A (10 satellites) | Unknown | LEO | SDA | Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| First launch of SDA Transport and Tracking Layer satellites. Out of 10 satellites, 8 are York Space Systems built Transport layer satellites and 2 are SpaceX-Leidos built, Starlink-derived Tracking Layer satellites.[73] The Transport layer is an interoperable mesh network of satellites intended to provide periodic low-latency and high-capacity data connectivity, while the Tracking Layer consists of interconnected satellites with cross-links and wide field of view infrared sensors for hypersonic missile tracking. | |||||||||
| 216 | April 7, 2023 04:30[74] |
F9 B5 B1076‑4 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Intelsat 40e | ~5,588 kg (12,319 lb) | GTO | Intelsat |
Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Maxar Technologies-built satellite to service North and Central America.[75][76] Also hosts the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) experiment. | |||||||||
| 217 | April 15, 2023 06:47[77] |
F9 B5 B1063‑10 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Transporter-7 (51 payload smallsat rideshare) | Unknown | SSO | Various | Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| Dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission to sun-synchronous orbit. First flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements.[78][79] Fifth mission featuring a second stage with a long coast mission-extension kit, accommodating the four second stage burns for payload deployment, excluding the deorbit burn. | |||||||||
| 218 | April 19, 2023 14:31[80] |
F9 B5 B1073‑8 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-2 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 219 | April 27, 2023 13:40[81] |
F9 B5 B1061‑13 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 3-5 (46 satellites) | ~14,100 kg (31,100 lb) | SSO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 46 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 560 km (350 mi) sun-synchronous orbit at an inclination of 97.6° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 220 | April 28, 2023 22:12[82] |
F9 B5 B1078‑2 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | O3b mPOWER 3 & 4 | ~4,100 kg (9,000 lb) | MEO | SES | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Second part of SES' MEO satellites for its O3b low-latency, high-performance connectivity services.[83][84][85] | |||||||||
May
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FH 6 | May 1, 2023 00:26[86] |
Falcon Heavy B5 B1068 (core) |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | ViaSat-3 Americas[87][88] |
6,400 kg (14,100 lb) | GEO | ViaSat | Success | No attempt |
| B1052-8 (side) | Aurora 4A (Arcturus)[89][90] | 300 kg (660 lb) | Astranis / Pacific Dataport | No attempt | |||||
| B1053-3 (side) | GS-1 | 22 kg (49 lb) | Gravity Space | No attempt | |||||
| This mission directly delivered the satellites to geostationary orbit, thus the core and side boosters were all expendable alongside having the sixth second stage featuring Falcon long coast mission-extension kit.[91] Satellites of the ViaSat-3 class use electric propulsion, which requires less fuel for stationkeeping operations over their lifetime,[88] making them the heaviest all-electric satellites ever launched into space. First mission to expend all three cores. GS-1 is a cubesat operated by Gravity Space on behalf of PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara who calls the satellite Nusantara-H1-A. | |||||||||
| 221 | May 4, 2023 07:31[92] |
F9 B5 B1069‑7 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-6 (56 satellites) | ~17,400 kg (38,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation.[92] A fairing half on this mission was flown and recovered for a record 9th time.[93] | |||||||||
| 222 | May 10, 2023 20:09[94] |
F9 B5 B1075‑3[95] |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-9 (51 satellites) | 15,900 kg (35,100 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 51 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 223 | May 14, 2023 05:03[96] |
F9 B5 B1067‑11 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-9 (56 satellites) | ~17,400 kg (38,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 224 | May 19, 2023 06:19[97] |
F9 B5 B1076‑5 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-3 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 225 | May 20, 2023 13:16[97] |
F9 B5 B1063‑11 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Iridium-NEXT[98] (5 satellites) OneWeb (15 Gen1 plus a Gen2 test satellite)[99] |
~6,600 kg (14,600 lb) | Polar LEO | Iridium & OneWeb | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Iridium-9 rideshare mission, carrying five on-orbit spare Iridium-NEXT satellites along with 15 Gen1 and a demo Gen2 OneWeb satellites.[92] Second flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements. | |||||||||
| 226 | May 21, 2023 21:37[100] |
F9 B5 B1080‑1 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Ax-2 (Crew Dragon C212.2 Freedom) | ~13,000 kg (29,000 lb) | LEO (ISS) | Axiom Space | Success | Success (LZ‑1) |
| Axiom contracted for three additional private crewed missions in June 2021.[101] Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner were signed on as commander and pilot for Ax-2.[102][103] The third and fourth seats were bought by Saudi Arabia.[104] The Saudi crew members were revealed to be Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi.[105] First time a booster landed on a ground pad after a crewed launch. | |||||||||
| 227 | May 27, 2023 04:30[106] |
F9 B5 B1062‑14 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | ArabSat 7B (Badr-8)[107] | ~4,500 kg (9,900 lb) | GTO | Arabsat | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Includes Airbus's TELEO optical communications payload demonstrator.[108] | |||||||||
| 228 | May 31, 2023 06:02[109] |
F9 B5 B1061‑14 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 2-10 (52 satellites) | ~16,400 kg (36,200 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 52 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 570 km (350 mi) orbit at an inclination of 70° to expand internet constellation. The 200th consecutive successful Falcon 9 mission. This launch marked the first time SpaceX completed nine launches in a calendar month. | |||||||||
June
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 229 | June 4, 2023 12:20[109] |
F9 B5 B1078‑3 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-4 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 230 | June 5, 2023 15:47[110] |
F9 B5 B1077‑5 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | SpaceX CRS-28 (Dragon C208.4) | ~3,304 kg (7,284 lb) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Three more CRS Phase 2 missions for Dragon 2 covering up to CRS-29 were announced in December 2020.[62] Third flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements. | |||||||||
| 231 | June 12, 2023 07:10[111] |
F9 B5 B1073‑9 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-11 (52 satellites) | ~16,400 kg (36,200 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 52 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 232 | June 12, 2023 21:35[112] |
F9 B5 B1071‑9 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Transporter-8 (72 payload smallsat rideshare) | Unknown[c] | SSO | Various | Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| Dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission to Sun-synchronous orbit. Launcher's Orbiter SN3 vehicle[6] and the first Satellite Vu Mid-wave Infrared imaging satellite are expected to fly on this mission. This mission marked the 200th overall successful booster landing. Fourth flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements. | |||||||||
| 233 | June 18, 2023 22:21[113] |
F9 B5 B1067‑12[114] |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | SATRIA[115] | ~4,580 kg (10,100 lb) | GTO | PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| PSN selected Falcon 9 in September 2020, to launch its satellite instead of a Chinese rocket or Ariane 5. | |||||||||
| 234 | June 22, 2023 07:19[113] |
F9 B5 B1075‑4[116] |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 5-7 (47 satellites) | ~14,500 kg (32,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 47 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This launch from Vandenberg achieved a record-breaking low orbital inclination of 43° for a rocket launched from the West Coast of the United States. Previous Starlink Group 9 launches to 43° had been conducted from the East Coast. Due to the unique orbital insertion, this launch carried nine fewer Starlink v1.5 satellites than a typical Group 9 launch, reducing weight by about 2,900 kg (6,400 lb).[117] | |||||||||
| 235 | June 23, 2023 15:35[118] |
F9 B5 B1069‑8 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-12 (56 satellites) | ~17,400 kg (38,400 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 56 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. A fairing half on this mission was flown and recovered for a record 10th time. | |||||||||
July
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236 | July 1, 2023 15:12[119] |
F9 B5 B1080‑2 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Euclid | ~2,160 kg (4,760 lb) | Sun–Earth L2 injection | ESA | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Euclid is a space telescope to better understand dark energy and dark matter by accurately measuring the acceleration of the universe.[120] | |||||||||
| 237 | July 7, 2023 19:29[121] |
F9 B5 B1063‑12[122] |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 5-13 (48 satellites) | ~14,900 kg (32,800 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 48 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This launch was to a lower than normal orbital inclination for a West Coast launch, as launches to 43° are normally conducted from the East Coast. Due to the unique orbital insertion, this launch carried fewer Starlink satellites than a typical launch, reducing weight. | |||||||||
| 238 | July 10, 2023 03:58[121] |
F9 B5 B1058‑16 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-5 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. On this flight, B1058 became the booster to launch and land 16 times. | |||||||||
| 239 | July 16, 2023 03:50[123] |
F9 B5 B1060‑16[124] |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 5-15 (54 satellites) | ~16,700 kg (36,800 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 54 Starlink v1.5 satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. Final launch of Starlink v1.5 satellites. This launch marked the second time a booster was being launched for the 16th time. | |||||||||
| 240 | July 20, 2023 04:09[125] |
F9 B5 B1071‑10 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 6-15 (15 satellites) | ~12,000 kg (26,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 15 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. First Starlink v2 mini launch from West Coast. This launch was to a lower than normal orbital inclination for a West Coast launch, as launches to 43° are normally conducted from the East Coast. Due to the unique orbital insertion, this launch carried fewer Starlink satellites than a typical launch, reducing weight. | |||||||||
| 241 | July 24, 2023 00:50[125] |
F9 B5 B1076‑6 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-6 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 242 | July 28, 2023 04:01[126] |
F9 B5 B1062‑15 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-7 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. The launch occurred 4 days, 3 hours and 11 minutes after SpaceX's previous mission from the same pad, setting a new record that was broken again ten days later with flight 244. | |||||||||
| FH 7 | July 29, 2023 03:04[127] |
Falcon Heavy B5 B1074 (core) |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Jupiter-3 (EchoStar-24)[128] | ~9,200 kg (20,300 lb) | GTO | EchoStar | Success | No attempt |
| B1064‑3 (side) | Success (LZ‑1) | ||||||||
| B1065‑3 (side) | Success (LZ‑2) | ||||||||
| Largest and heaviest geostationary communication satellite ever launched.[128] Both side boosters returned to the launch site while the center core was expended.[129] First second stage featuring Falcon medium coast mission-extension kit.[130] | |||||||||
August
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 243 | August 3, 2023 05:00[131] |
F9 B5 B1077‑6 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Galaxy 37 | ~5,063 kg (11,162 lb) | GTO | Intelsat | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Intelsat originally contracted both SpaceX and Arianespace to launch its seventh C-band replacement satellite, Galaxy 37.[132] Launch was previously awarded to Arianespace.[133][134] Also known as Galaxy 13R, as it replaced Galaxy 13.[135] The spacecraft also contains a Ku-band payload known as Horizons-4, which is Japan-licensed. | |||||||||
| 244 | August 7, 2023 02:41[136] |
F9 B5 B1078‑4 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-8 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This launch marked a turnaround record for SpaceX; the launch occurred 3 days, 21 hours and 41 minutes after SpaceX's previous mission from SLC-40. The previous record was set the month before at the same launch pad. | |||||||||
| 245 | August 8, 2023 03:57[137] |
F9 B5 B1075‑5 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 6-20 (15 satellites) | ~12,000 kg (26,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 15 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This launch was to a lower than normal orbital inclination for a West Coast launch, as launches to 43° are normally conducted from the East Coast. Due to the unique orbital insertion, this launch carried fewer Starlink satellites than a typical launch, reducing weight. | |||||||||
| 246 | August 11, 2023 05:17[138] |
F9 B5 B1069‑9 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-9 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. 1st time flying a fairing half for the 11th time. 100th launch of a batch of Starlink satellites (excluding launch of test satellites Tintin A&B). | |||||||||
| 247 | August 17, 2023 03:36[139] |
F9 B5 B1067‑13 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-10 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 248 | August 22, 2023 09:37[140] |
F9 B5 B1061‑15 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-1 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 249 | August 26, 2023 07:27[141] |
F9 B5 B1081‑1[142] |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Crew-7[143] (Crew Dragon C210.3 Endurance) | ~13,000 kg (29,000 lb) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CTS) | Success | Success (LZ‑1) |
| After first six Crew Dragon launches of NASA USCV award, a further three missions for SpaceX were announced on December 3, 2021. These launches carry up to four astronauts and 100 kg (220 lb) of cargo to the ISS as well as feature a lifeboat function to evacuate astronauts from ISS in case of an emergency.[58][144] | |||||||||
| 250 | August 27, 2023 01:05[145] |
F9 B5 B1080‑3 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-11 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
September
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | September 1, 2023 02:21[146] |
F9 B5 B1077‑7 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-13 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 252 | September 2, 2023 02:21[147] 14:25[148] |
F9 B5 B1063‑13 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | SDA Tranche 0B (13 satellites) | Unknown | LEO | SDA | Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| Second launch of SDA Transport and Tracking Layer satellites. Originally intended to launch the remaining 18 satellites, but a late change reduced this to 13. One was York Space Systems built and 10 are Lockheed Martin-Tyvak Space systems built Transport layer satellites, and two were SpaceX/Leidos built, Starlink-derived Tracking layer satellites.[73] The Transport layer is an interoperable mesh network of satellites intended to provide periodic low-latency and high-capacity data connectivity, while the Tracking Layer consists of interconnected satellites with cross-links and wide field-of-view infrared sensors for hypersonic missile tracking. Fifth flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements. This was the 61st launch of a Falcon rocket this year, the same number of launches carried out in all of 2022. | |||||||||
| 253 | September 4, 2023 02:47[149] |
F9 B5 B1073‑10 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Starlink: Group 6-12 (22 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. With this launch, SpaceX's Falcon family surpassed the yearly world record for most successful launches, previously set by the R-7 rocket family in 1980. | |||||||||
| 254 | September 9, 2023 03:12[150] |
F9 B5 B1076‑7 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-14 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 255 | September 12, 2023 06:57[151] |
F9 B5 B1071‑11 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-2 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 256 | September 16, 2023 03:38[152] |
F9 B5 B1078‑5 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-16 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This was the 200th flight and 200th success of the Block 5 version of Falcon 9. SpaceX's Falcon family thus broke the yearly world record for most launches attempted (irrespective of launch outcome) by any rocket family, i.e., 64 set by the R-7 family in 1980 after this launch.[153][154] | |||||||||
| 257 | September 20, 2023 03:38[155] |
F9 B5 B1058‑17 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-17 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. SpaceX set a new record using the same booster for the 17th time. 1st time flying a fairing half for the 12th time. | |||||||||
| 258 | September 24, 2023 03:38[156] |
F9 B5 B1060‑17 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-18 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. Second booster to fly for the 17th time. | |||||||||
| 259 | September 25, 2023 08:48[157] |
F9 B5 B1075‑6 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-3 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 260 | September 30, 2023 02:00[158] |
F9 B5 B1069‑10 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-19 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. This launch marked the first time SpaceX completed ten launches in a calendar month. | |||||||||
October
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 261 | October 5, 2023 05:36[159] |
F9 B5 B1076‑8 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-21 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 262 | October 9, 2023 07:23[160] |
F9 B5 B1063‑14 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-4 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| FH 8 | October 13, 2023 14:19[161] |
Falcon Heavy B5 B1079 (core)[162] |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | Psyche[163] | ~2,608 kg (5,750 lb) | Heliocentric | NASA (Discovery) | Success | No attempt |
| B1064‑4 (side) | Success (LZ‑1) | ||||||||
| B1065‑4 (side) | Success (LZ‑2) | ||||||||
| Discovery Program mission designed to explore asteroid 16 Psyche to investigate the formation of the early Solar System.[164] Center core expended, while both side-boosters returned to Cape Canaveral for landings at LZ-1 and LZ-2.[165] | |||||||||
| 263 | October 13, 2023 23:01[166] |
F9 B5 B1067‑14 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-22 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 264 | October 18, 2023 00:39[167] |
F9 B5 B1062‑16 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-23 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 265 | October 21, 2023 08:23[168] |
F9 B5 B1061‑16 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-5 (21 satellites) | ~15,300 kg (33,700 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 21 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 266 | October 22, 2023 02:17[169] |
F9 B5 B1080‑4 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-24 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. First time 23 Starlinks V2 Mini were launched and new Falcon 9 payload mass record of 18,400 kg. | |||||||||
| 267 | October 29, 2023 09:00[170] |
F9 B5 B1075‑7 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-6 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. New record of launching 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites from the West Coast. | |||||||||
| 268 | October 30, 2023 23:20[171] |
F9 B5 B1077‑8 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-25 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
November
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 269 | November 4, 2023 00:37[172] |
F9 B5 B1058‑18 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-26 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. First booster to fly for the 18th time. 1st time flying a fairing half for the 13th time. | |||||||||
| 270 | November 8, 2023 05:05[173] |
F9 B5 B1073‑11 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-27 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 271 | November 10, 2023 01:28[174] |
F9 B5 B1081‑2 |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | SpaceX CRS-29 (Dragon C211.2) | ~9,525 kg (20,999 lb) | LEO (ISS) | NASA (CRS) | Success | Success (LZ‑1) |
| Three more CRS Phase 2 missions for Dragon 2 covering up to CRS-29 were announced in December 2020.[62] The mission launched 2,381 kilograms (5,249 lb) of pressurized cargo and 569 kilograms (1,254 lb) of unpressurized cargo and then spent approximately one month on station. Among the cargo was station supplies and science experiments, including NASA's ILLUMA-T (Laser Communication from Space) and AWE (Atmospheric Waves Experiment) experiments, and ESA's Aquamembrane-3 experiment.[175] | |||||||||
| 272 | November 11, 2023 18:49[176] |
F9 B5 B1071‑12 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Transporter-9 (113 payload smallsat rideshare) | Unknown[c] | SSO | Various | Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| Dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission to Sun-synchronous orbit. Sixth flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements. Momentus has announced that three sats manifested by them failed to deploy from the Transporter-9 mission. The satellites were destroyed when second stage deorbited.[177] | |||||||||
| 273 | November 12, 2023 21:08[178] |
F9 B5 B1076‑9 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | O3b mPOWER 5 & 6 | ~4,100 kg (9,000 lb) | MEO | SES | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Third part of SES' MEO satellites for its O3b low-latency, high-performance connectivity services.[83] This is the first time a single booster launched for 8 times in a single calendar year. | |||||||||
| 274 | November 18, 2023 05:05[179] |
F9 B5 B1069‑11 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-28 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 275 | November 20, 2023 10:30[180] |
F9 B5 B1063‑15 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-7 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 276 | November 22, 2023 07:47[181] |
F9 B5 B1067‑15 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-29 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 277 | November 28, 2023 04:20[182] |
F9 B5 B1062‑17 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-30 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. First time SpaceX conducted 50th orbital launches in year from SLC-40. | |||||||||
December
| Flight No. | Date and time (UTC) |
Version, booster[a] |
Launch site |
Payload[b] | Payload mass | Orbit | Customer | Launch outcome |
Booster landing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 278 | December 1, 2023 18:19[183] |
F9 B5 B1061‑17 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | 425 Project Flight 1[184] EIRSAT-1 and others 23 secondary payloads[185] |
~800 kg (1,800 lb) (main satellite) |
SSO | Republic of Korea Armed Forces
Various |
Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| A military satellite of South Korea with a mass of 800 kg. EIRSAT-1 is an Irish 2U cubesat that carries a gamma-ray detector and an experiment of thermal coatings for other spacecraft.[186] SpaceX completing 250th landing of a Falcon first-stage booster this mission. | |||||||||
| 279 | December 3, 2023 04:00[187] |
F9 B5 B1078‑6 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-31 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. 1st time flying a fairing half for the 14th time. | |||||||||
| 280 | December 7, 2023 05:07[188] |
F9 B5 B1077‑9 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-33 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (JRTI) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. SpaceX's 90th launch of the year including Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. | |||||||||
| 281 | December 8, 2023 08:03[189] |
F9 B5 B1071‑13 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | Starlink: Group 7-8 (22 satellites) | ~16,100 kg (35,500 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (OCISLY) |
| Launch of 22 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 525 km (326 mi) orbit at an inclination of 53° to expand internet constellation. 200th landing on a droneship by a Falcon booster. Fastest turnaround of Vandenberg SLC-4E pad at 6 days, 13 hours and 44 minutes. USA broke the world record of most launches by a nation (108), held by Soviet Union in 1982.[190][191] SpaceX completed 100 launches in 365 days (a year) between December 8, 2022, 22:27 UTC and December 8, 2023, 8:03 UTC.[192] | |||||||||
| 282 | December 19, 2023 04:01[193] |
F9 B5 B1081‑3 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-34 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. | |||||||||
| 283 | December 23, 2023 05:33[194] |
F9 B5 B1058‑19 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-32 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Partial failure (JRTI) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. First booster to fly for the 19th time. Despite the landing being initially successful, the booster later tipped over during transit due to rough seas, high winds and waves, the stage was unable to be secured to the deck for recovery and later tipped over and was destroyed in transit. SpaceX has already equipped newer Falcon boosters with upgraded landing legs that have the capability to self-level and mitigate this type of issue.[195] | |||||||||
| 284 | December 24, 2023 13:11[196] |
F9 B5 B1075‑8 |
Vandenberg, SLC‑4E | SARah 2 & 3[197] | ~3,600 kg (7,900 lb) | SSO | German Intelligence Service | Success | Success (LZ‑4) |
| In January 2019, the satellites were expected to be launched between November 2020 and September 2021.[198] Seventh flight with short nozzle second stage aimed at lowering costs and improving launch cadence, but is only suitable for missions with lower performance requirements. | |||||||||
| FH 9 | December 29, 2023 01:07[199] |
Falcon Heavy B5 B1084 (core)[200] |
Kennedy, LC‑39A | USSF-52 (Boeing X-37B OTV-7) | 6,350 kg (14,000 lb) + OTV payload |
High Elliptical HEO[201] | Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office[202]/USSF |
Success | No attempt |
| B1064‑5 (side) | Success (LZ‑1) | ||||||||
| B1065‑5 (side) | Success (LZ‑2) | ||||||||
| Classified payload contract awarded in June 2018 for US$130 million,[203] increased to $149.2 million in August 2021, due to "a change in the contract requirements" and was expected to be completed by April 14, 2022.[204] Draft solicitation said the launch was 6,350 kg (14,000 lb) to GTO.[205] A month before launch, the Air Force announced that the mission will fly the X-37B spaceplane.[206] Fourth flight of the second X-37B. Center core expended as both side boosters landed on LZ-1 and LZ-2. | |||||||||
| 285 | December 29, 2023 04:01[207] |
F9 B5 B1069‑12 |
Cape Canaveral, SLC‑40 | Starlink: Group 6-36 (23 satellites) | ~16,800 kg (37,000 lb) | LEO | SpaceX | Success | Success (ASOG) |
| Launch of 23 Starlink v2 mini satellites to a 530 km (330 mi) orbit at an inclination of 43° to expand internet constellation. SpaceX set a new record for the shortest time between two Falcon launches at 2 hours and 54 minutes. The previous record time was 4 hours and 12 minutes, set between the Starlink Group 2-8 and SES-18 & SES-19 missions on March 17, 2023. | |||||||||
Notable Launches
Falcon 9
- On April 15, 2023, Transporter 7 (F9-217) became the first Falcon 9 Block 5 launch to use a Merlin 1D Vacuum manufactured with a shortened nozzle on its second stage.
- The Falcon 9 family successfully launched for the 62nd time in 2023 on September 4, 2023, while launching Starlink Group 6-12 (F9-253). This broke the record of 61 successful launches in a year by a launch vehicle family initially set in 1980 by the R7 family and matched by the Falcon 9 family the previous year.
- The Falcon 9 family launched for the 65th time in 2023, breaking the record for launches in a year (irrespective of launch outcome) by a launch vehicle family on September 16, 2023, while launching Starlink Group 6-16 (F9-256), The previous record of 64 launches was set by the R7 family in 1980.
Falcon Heavy
- The sixth flight of the Falcon Heavy (FH-6) launching ViaSat 3 F1 Americas was the first Falcon Heavy launch to expend the core and both side boosters.
- Over half (five out of nine) of the Falcon Heavy launches by the end of 2023 had been launched that calendar year.
Reuse
- B1058 became the first booster to be recovered for the 16th (F9-238 on July 10, 2023), 17th (F9-257 on September 20, 2023), and 18th (F9-269 on November 4, 2023) time. It was also the first booster to launch and land for a 19th (F9-283) time before tipping over and being destroyed in transit to Port Canaveral.
- SpaceX announced that fairing halves were being launched for the 8th time on February 12, 2023 (F9-203), the 9th time on May 4, 2023 (F9-221), the 10th time on June 23, 2023 (F9-235), the 11th time on August 11, 2023 (F9-246), the 12th time on September 20, 2023 (F9-257), the 13th time on November 4, 2023 (F9-269), and the 14th time on December 3, 2023 (F9-279),
Launch Cadence and Pad Turnaround
- SpaceX's monthly launch cadence for the Falcon 9 family reached eight launches per month for the first time in March, nine in May, and ten in September.
- The shortest time between two Falcon 9 family launches set on 5 October 2022 at 7 hours and 10 minutes was reduced to 2 hours and 54 minutes by the end of the year.
- The record for pad turnaround for SLC-40 of eight days set in April 2022 was reduced to 3 days, 21 hours, and 41 minutes with the August 7, 2023 launch of Starliner Group 6-8 (F9-244).
