SpaceX Rocket Flies 35th Mission in Just 5 Years

A rocket that first launched five years ago just proved that the future of spaceflight is already here.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster B1067 completed its 35th mission on Monday, launching Starlink satellites from Florida before landing safely on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The vehicle, once gleaming white and now weathered gray from its journeys, holds the record as SpaceX's most-flown rocket.

The numbers tell a remarkable story. Since June 2021, this single rocket has flown more missions than United Launch Alliance—SpaceX's main US competitor—has flown with all of its rockets combined during the same period.

ULA launched 29 times total with three different rocket types, all expendable. Meanwhile, B1067 flew and landed 35 times, sometimes launching twice in a single month.

The rocket's journey started with high-profile missions to the International Space Station, carrying both cargo and astronauts. Since then, it has primarily hauled batches of Starlink internet satellites into orbit, proving that rapid reuse isn't just a one-time feat but a sustainable business model.

SpaceX initially aimed for 40 flights per booster, a goal announced more than two years ago. With B1067 approaching that milestone and showing no signs of slowing down, the company may push even further.

The Ripple Effect

This single rocket's success created the foundation for everything SpaceX has become. The company learned how to land and reuse boosters through thousands of hours of real-world testing with vehicles like B1067.

That reusability allowed SpaceX to slash launch costs and increase flight frequency, dominating the global launch market. The savings funded Starlink, which deployed thousands of satellites and finally pushed the company to profitability.

Now SpaceX is valued at $1.75 trillion ahead of its Friday IPO, with ambitious plans for even bigger rockets and orbital data centers. Investors believe in these moonshot ideas because the Falcon 9 already proved SpaceX can turn science fiction into reality.

The rocket has flown so often—SpaceX now launches multiple times per week—that a 35th flight barely registers as news. But that's exactly the point. When extraordinary becomes ordinary, you know you've witnessed a revolution.

B1067 is now closing in on Space Shuttle Discovery's record of 39 missions, achieved over nearly four decades. This humble Falcon 9 may surpass it in less than six years.