SpaceX set a new performance record this past Saturday. The company successfully executed two separate Falcon 9 rocket launches within a span of only 38 minutes. This result breaks their previous internal record by 27 minutes.
The first mission departed from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 9:12 p.m. EDT. This flight carried eight satellites for Globalstar. SpaceX confirmed that the team deployed all eight spacecraft into low Earth orbit successfully about an hour after liftoff.
Shortly after the Florida launch, a second Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 9:50 p.m. EDT. This mission, designated USSF-366, supports the U.S. Space Force. While the payload details remain classified, industry analysts suggest the mission likely involves government satellites carried on a modified Starshield bus.
Both missions concluded with successful landings of the Falcon 9 first-stage boosters. The Florida booster touched down at Cape Canaveral after its 14th flight, while the California booster returned to a droneship in the Pacific Ocean after its 18th mission. These two launches bring the total number of Falcon 9 flights for 2026 to 96, with the majority of these missions dedicated to the Starlink satellite network.