Tonight's launch was SpaceX's 68th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and 71st overall liftoff so far this year. The additional three were test flights of Starship, SpaceX's next-generation super-heavy-lift rocket, which most recently launched on May 27.

SpaceX's rocket got off the ground six times in May from Vandenberg Space Force Base and is due to make its next delivery of Starlink satellites.

SpaceX on Wednesday afternoon launched another batch of 27 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on the 15th anniversary of the first Falcon 9 rocket launch.