Latest Developments

SpaceX is targeting a landmark 600th Falcon booster landing today as part of the Starlink 17-22 mission, which will deploy 25 new broadband satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff from pad 4E is scheduled for 7:33:40 a.m. PDT, with booster recovery representing a significant reusability milestone for the company. With 11,828 Starlink satellites launched to date — 10,258 currently in orbit and 10,242 operational — this mission continues the steady cadence of constellation maintenance and expansion. In parallel, SpaceX’s interplanetary ambitions are advancing, with the company confirmed to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover in 2028 aboard a vehicle other than Starship.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction risk picture shows four moderate-risk events concentrated in mid-April 2026, with no high-risk encounters identified in the active tracking window. The most significant conjunction involves STARLINK-33563 and debris from COSMOS 2251 on Apr 13, 2026, which carries a 39.7% collision probability despite a 12 km/s relative velocity. Meanwhile, reentry activity remains limited with only four Starlink satellites predicted to decay within the next 72 hours, all characterized by standard 24-48 hour prediction windows and no high-interest designations.

Detailed Coverage

SpaceX Eyes Historic 600th Falcon Booster Landing During West Coast Starlink Mission

SpaceX is poised to achieve a major reusability milestone as the Starlink 17-22 mission targets the company’s 600th successful Falcon 9 first-stage recovery. The booster will lift off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying 25 Starlink broadband satellites, with the landing attempt adding another data point to what has become one of the most consequential engineering achievements in commercial spaceflight history.

The 25 satellites aboard this mission will join a constellation that now counts 10,242 operational spacecraft in low Earth orbit, continuing to close coverage gaps and bolster network redundancy. Each successful booster recovery directly reduces per-launch costs, enabling the high flight cadence that has made the Starlink constellation’s rapid growth possible. Tracking tools will be able to monitor the fresh batch of satellites as they undergo orbit-raising maneuvers in the days following deployment.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover Confirmed for SpaceX Launch in 2028 — But Not on Starship

Europe’s long-delayed Rosalind Franklin rover, designed specifically to drill below the Martian surface in search of biosignatures and signs of past life, is now confirmed to fly to Mars aboard a SpaceX rocket in 2028. The mission would mark SpaceX’s first-ever launch of a spacecraft bound for Mars, a significant expansion of the company’s role beyond Earth orbit and into deep-space science infrastructure.

Notably, the launch vehicle will not be Starship despite that rocket’s intended role in future Mars ambitions. The choice of a more conventional launcher likely reflects schedule reliability requirements given the narrow 2028 Mars transfer window, as well as the rover’s heritage hardware and integration constraints. For SpaceX, the contract represents a high-profile endorsement of Falcon-class reliability for planetary science missions and signals growing institutional confidence from major space agencies in the company as a launch provider for irreplaceable scientific payloads.

Read the full story: Space.com

Constellation Status

The Starlink constellation has remained stable since the last check, with no new launches or orbital adjustments. The constellation currently consists of 11,828 total launched satellites, of which 10,258 remain in orbit, 10,242 are actively working, and 1,570 have decayed from their operational altitudes.

• Total Launched: 11828
• Total On Orbit: 10258
• Total Working: 10242

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink