Elon Musk's SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on 100th Falcon 9 flight of the year
marked a major milestone in 2025 by launching its 100th Falcon 9 mission of the year, sending 24
Starlink
broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch took place from
Vandenberg Space Force Base
in California at 12:26 p.m. EDT on August 18 (9:56 p.m. IST). The Falcon 9 rocket, using its first stage Booster 1088 for the ninth time, successfully reached preliminary orbit within nine minutes and deployed the satellites roughly 50 minutes later. This addition expands SpaceX's Starlink constellation to over 8,100 active units, further enhancing global internet coverage for its clients and reaffirming the company's record-setting pace of reusable rocket operations.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster 1088 achieves ninth successful flight
Booster 1088 has become one of SpaceX's most reliable reusable rockets, completing its ninth mission during this launch. After deploying the
Starlink satellites
, the first stage safely returned and landed on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' in the Pacific Ocean. This milestone underscores SpaceX's continuing success in reusability, with the company completing its 489th Falcon 9 landing and 454th reflight overall. The ability to reuse boosters reduces launch costs and accelerates the company's ambitious schedule of missions, including both Starlink deployments and other commercial, government, and scientific launches.
Starlink constellation surpasses 8,100 active satellites
With this launch, SpaceX's Starlink network now comprises more than 8,100 active satellites, providing near-global broadband coverage. Since the first launch in 2018, over 9,400 Starlink satellites have been deployed. This rapid expansion allows SpaceX to serve underserved regions, support remote communities, and provide critical connectivity in disaster zones. The new satellites will strengthen network capacity, improve connection speeds, and reduce latency, helping Starlink maintain its position as the largest satellite internet provider worldwide.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice
Grammarly
Install Now
Undo
Significance of the 100th Falcon 9 flight of 2025
Reaching 100 Falcon 9 launches in a single year is a historic achievement for SpaceX, highlighting the company's unmatched launch cadence and operational efficiency. Combined with three suborbital Starship test flights, this marks a total of 103 missions for the year. SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of rocket reusability, cost reduction, and satellite deployment, setting new benchmarks for the global aerospace industry and paving the way for future exploration and connectivity projects.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
5 minutes ago
- Mint
Elon Musk's Starlink partners with UIDAI, to use Aadhaar authentication for customer verification
Satellite internet service provider Starlink, led by billionaire Elon Musk, will implement Aadhaar authentication to verify customers in India before onboarding them, news agency PTI reported, citing an official statement. The government has approved Starlink to begin offering satellite-based broadband services within the country. "The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has onboarded satellite-based internet provider Starlink Satellite Communication Pvt Ltd. Starlink will use Aadhaar Authentication for customer verification, which will make the entire process smooth, secure and very easy," the statement was quoted. According to an official estimate, Starlink currently has the capacity to onboard approximately 20 lakh customers in India. "Starlink's onboarding with Aadhaar authentication signifies a powerful synergy: India's trusted digital identity joining hands with global satellite technology. Aadhaar e-KYC will facilitate the onboarding of users seamlessly, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while delivering high-speed internet to households, businesses, and institutions," the statement said. Starlink Satellite Communication was appointed a sub-authentication user agency and sub-eKYC user agency in the presence of UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, UIDAI Deputy Director General Manish Bhardwaj, and Starlink India Director Parnil Urdhwareshe. Starlink has collaborated with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to offer its services within the country.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Dinosaur with two heads? Rare fossil discovery stuns scientists
Source: Science Alert A remarkable fossil discovery dating back more than 120 million years has revealed the existence of a two-headed Hyphalosaurus , a small, long-necked aquatic reptile that lived during the Early Cretaceous period . Unearthed in the Yixian Formation of northeastern China, this unique specimen shows clear signs of axial bifurcation, a rare developmental anomaly in which an embryo begins to split into twins but fails to complete the process, resulting in a single organism with two heads. Although similar malformations have been observed in modern-day reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and turtles, this fossil is the oldest known example of such a condition in the vertebrate fossil record. The discovery, published in a 2007 study by Buffetaut and colleagues in Biology Letters , offers important insight into the occurrence of congenital defects in ancient species . It also provides a fascinating glimpse into the biological and evolutionary challenges faced by early reptiles, adding a rare developmental perspective to paleontology and evolutionary biology. Fossil discovery explains axial bifurcation in two-headed hyphalosaurus Axial bifurcation is a rare developmental anomaly that occurs during early embryonic growth, where the vertebral column begins to split longitudinally, resulting in two parallel cervical (neck) series and the formation of two distinct skulls and necks. This incomplete twinning process leads to the development of conjoined heads, a condition that is extremely uncommon in reptiles and other vertebrates. In modern species such as snakes and turtles, axial bifurcation is occasionally observed but usually results in non-viable or short-lived offspring due to complications in mobility, feeding, or organ function. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo The two-headed Hyphalosaurus fossil discovered in the Yixian Formation provides the earliest known evidence of this phenomenon in the fossil record. Measuring just 70 millimeters in length, the specimen is believed to be either a late-stage embryo or a newborn that did not survive beyond hatching. Despite its brief lifespan, the fossil's exceptional preservation offers scientists a rare window into congenital malformations in ancient reptiles. It not only demonstrates that such developmental errors occurred as far back as the Early Cretaceous but also opens new avenues for understanding the evolutionary and genetic factors influencing vertebrate development in deep time. Significance of the two-headed hyphalosaurus fossil discovery The preservation of this two-headed Hyphalosaurus fossil is an extraordinary stroke of luck, considering that the fossil record captures only a minute fraction of all organisms that once lived. Developmental anomalies like axial bifurcation are rare to begin with, and their fossilization is even more unlikely. What makes this discovery even more remarkable is the specimen's nearly pristine fossil remains partially embedded in sediment, and the surrounding stone slab is unbroken, lending strong support to its authenticity, a crucial point given the region's history of fossil forgeries. According to the original 2007 study published in Biology Letters, this fossil represents the oldest confirmed case of axial bifurcation in any vertebrate. Its discovery not only sheds light on rare congenital conditions in ancient reptiles but also expands our understanding of how such anomalies have occurred throughout evolutionary history. It serves as a rare and valuable reference point for studying embryonic development, mutation, and survivability in extinct species. The Hyphalosaurus fossil discovery underscores the rarity of axial bifurcation and the value of well-preserved specimens in studying prehistoric life. While modern examples of two-headed reptiles exist, this dinosaur-age fossil offers a unique glimpse into evolutionary development and the challenges of survival for such anomalies. By examining fossils like this, scientists gain deeper insight into the diversity and complexity of life millions of years ago, emphasizing the continuing importance of paleontology in uncovering nature's ancient mysteries. Also read| 26-million-year-old whale skull fossil found, sheds light on ancient marine life
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
PlayStation prices rise as US tariffs bite
Sony on Wednesday said it is bumping up the price of PlayStation 5 video game consoles by $50 in the United States due to a "challenging economic environment." Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump hike the cost of goods brought into the US, leaving companies like Japan's Sony to decide whether to pass that on to consumers. "Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment," Sony Interactive Entertainment vice president of global marketing Isabelle Tomatis said in a post. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When the Camera Clicked at the Worst Possible Time Read More Undo After initially being threatened with a 25 percent hike, Japan negotiated a 15 percent tariff with the Trump administration. "As a result, we've made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the US." Live Events The new price for PS5 will be $550, with a "Digital Edition" priced at $500 and a Pro version for $750, according to Tomatis. In May, Sony warned it was considering tweaking prices in the US, estimating that tariffs could wind up costing the company about $680 million in the fiscal year. American companies are feeling the crunch, too. New York-based cosmetics giant Estee Lauder recently estimated the impact of the new tariffs at around $100 million for the 2026 financial year and plans to adjust its prices to offset the additional cost. US snack giant PepsiCo could increase prices of its soft drinks about 10 percent to mitigate effects of US tariffs, particularly those on imported aluminum used to make soda cans, according to trade magazine Beverage Digest. Meanwhile, California-based energy drink maker Monster Beverages is considering raising prices due to a "complex and dynamic customs landscape," according to chief executive Hilton Schlosberg. The Commerce Department this week said the US broadened its steel and aluminum tariffs, impacting hundreds more products that contain both metals such as child seats, tableware and heavy equipment. Since returning to the presidency, Trump has imposed tariffs on almost all US trading partners. Though the impact of Trump's tariffs on consumer prices has been limited so far, economists warn that their full effects are yet to be seen. Some businesses have coped by bringing forward purchases of products they expected will encounter tariffs. Others have passed on additional costs to their consumers, or absorbed a part of the fresh tariff burden.
