WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (ANI) — American aerospace company SpaceX achieved a major operational milestone by launching two Falcon 9 rockets from opposite coasts of the United States just 38.5 minutes apart, setting a new company record for the shortest gap between orbital missions.
The dual launches, conducted Saturday evening local time, shattered SpaceX’s previous dual-launch record of 65 minutes, set in August 2024, showcasing the company’s rapid operational cadence and reusable rocket capabilities.
The first mission lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:12 p.m. EDT (0112 GMT Sunday), carrying eight low Earth orbit satellites for satellite communications company Globalstar. The satellites were successfully deployed over a six-minute window beginning roughly 56 minutes after liftoff, expanding Globalstar’s constellation infrastructure.
Just 38.5 minutes later, at 9:50 p.m. EDT (0150 GMT Sunday), a second Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying the classified USSF-366 payload for the U.S. Space Force.
Both missions featured precise landings of the Falcon 9 first-stage boosters, further advancing SpaceX’s booster recovery achievements.
The Globalstar mission’s booster, B1090, completed its 14th flight before executing a vertical touchdown at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 40 approximately eight minutes after launch.
The USSF-366 booster, B1088, completed its 18th flight and landed on the autonomous droneship “Of Course I Still Love You,” stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The recovery marked the 650th successful Falcon booster landing in SpaceX history.
The Globalstar deployment, which had been deferred from an earlier May timeline to allow for satellite preparations, provides critical network continuity for direct-to-device communications services.
Globalstar Chief Executive Paul E. Jacobs hailed the successful deployment as a vital step in bolstering the infrastructure that supports global consumer and enterprise communications.
The launch also comes as Globalstar moves toward a planned acquisition deal with Amazon to support its satellite broadband initiatives.
Saturday night’s dual launch brought SpaceX’s total mission count for 2026 to 96 orbital flights, reinforcing its dominant share of the global commercial launch market. (ANI)
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