A proud Elon Musk shares how SpaceX started in a garage as its Falcon rockets complete 500th mission
SpaceX
reached a landmark moment this week as it completed its 500th mission using its Falcon family of rockets. The achievement was marked by the successful launch of 26
Starlink
satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on June 12 at 9:54 p.m. EDT. The event also triggered a wave of reflection, with
Elon Musk
sharing a nostalgic glimpse into SpaceX's early days.
500th Falcon Mission Marks Major Milestone
The launch was part of the company's Starlink initiative, which aims to provide high-speed global internet access through a vast network of satellites. The 26 satellites deployed during the mission joined a growing constellation of over 7,600 already in low Earth orbit, making Starlink the largest satellite network ever developed.
An hour after lift-off, SpaceX confirmed that the satellites had been deployed successfully. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the company highlighted the significance of the mission:
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"Falcon completes its 500th overall mission! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team for making the impossible possible on the road to rapidly
reusable rockets
!"
Booster Returns After 15th Flight
The Falcon 9 rocket used in this mission had a first-stage booster with the serial number B1081. This booster has now flown 15 times and once again returned to Earth safely, landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You stationed off the Southern California coast. While this is a remarkable achievement, the record for most launches by a Falcon 9 booster remains at 28.
So far in 2025, SpaceX has launched 72 Falcon 9 missions, with 54 of them dedicated to expanding the Starlink network. Several of these satellites also carry direct-to-cell technology, enabling mobile texting and internet service through select smartphones and carriers.
Elon Musk Reflects on Humble Beginnings
As the company celebrated this major technical milestone, Elon Musk offered a moment of reflection. He posted an image on X showing him in a modest garage surrounded by early rocket parts with the caption: "How it started"
The photo was taken in 2006 by Hans Koenigsmann, one of SpaceX's early engineering leaders, who commented on the post: "I am glad I took that picture in 2006."
— elonmusk (@elonmusk)
The 500th launch stands not just as a number, but as a marker of how far SpaceX has come since its humble beginnings. What started as an ambitious experiment in a garage has transformed into one of the most prolific and innovative spaceflight programs in history.
SpaceX's rapid-fire launches, reusable rocket advancements, and expanding satellite networks underscore its continued impact on the global aerospace industry. With Musk's vision driving the mission forward, the journey from a garage setup to 500 Falcon launches seems like just the beginning.
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