SpaceX is aiming to significantly increase its launch activity in 2025, with plans for 170 orbital missions—a pace that would mark a new record for the company and the broader aerospace industry.
Highlights
- Record-breaking ambition: SpaceX targets 170 orbital missions in 2025—an unprecedented cadence equal to nearly one launch every other day.
- Operational scale-up: The company now builds an expendable upper stage every 2.5 days, illustrating massive production scaling compared to 2020’s 25 launches.
- Falcon fleet backbone: Falcon 9 accounts for nearly all launches, with a 100% success rate and 98% booster landing success, thanks to mature reusability practices.
- Starlink demand drives volume: Over two-thirds of launches support the growing Starlink satellite network, now boasting 7,500+ active satellites in orbit.
- Key June missions: Includes Sirius XM-10 (June 6) and Axiom Mission 4 (June 8), reflecting a mix of commercial, government, and crewed launches.
- Starship evolves in parallel: Three test flights in 2025 so far, with a new Starship V3 version set to fly by year’s end—targeting deep-space missions including Mars as early as 2026.
- FAA greenlights Boca Chica boost: Regulatory support increases allowable Starship launches from 5 to 25 annually, accelerating future capabilities.
- Redefining industry norms: SpaceX is shifting spaceflight from rare and expensive to routine and scalable—reshaping global launch dynamics.
This goal builds on SpaceX’s previous record of 134 launches in 2023, and if achieved, would equate to nearly one orbital launch every other day.
From Ambitious to Routine: Scaling Launch Cadence
The announcement came from Anne Mason, Director of National Security Space Launch at SpaceX, during a press briefing ahead of the GPS III SV08 mission for the U.S. Space Force, scheduled for May 30.
Mason noted that such a cadence “was unimaginable five years ago,” emphasizing how normalized frequent launches have become within the company’s operations.
This increasing pace is supported by a combination of hardware reusability, streamlined manufacturing, and operational consistency.
In 2020, SpaceX completed 25 orbital launches. By comparison, it now produces an expendable Falcon upper stage roughly every 2.5 days to support its expanded schedule.
Role of Reusability and the Falcon Fleet
The Falcon 9 rocket is the backbone of SpaceX’s launch operations, accounting for the majority of missions. In 2023, 132 of the 134 total orbital flights were completed using Falcon 9, with the Falcon Heavy handling the remainder.
Both rockets rely on reusable first-stage boosters, a key factor in maintaining high launch frequency while managing costs.
As of May 30, 2025, SpaceX has completed 67 orbital launches this year—65 using Falcon 9 and 2 Starship test flights.
Notably, 60 of these missions used flight-proven boosters, illustrating the maturity and effectiveness of the company’s reusability model. The launch success rate stands at 100%, with a booster landing success rate of 98%.
Driving Demand for Regular Launches
A significant portion of these missions support Starlink, SpaceX’s expanding satellite internet network. In 2024, two-thirds of all SpaceX orbital launches were dedicated to Starlink deployments.
That trend continues into 2025, with the network now consisting of over 7,500 active satellites in low Earth orbit. Ongoing maintenance and expansion of this constellation are major contributors to the company’s high launch cadence.
Mission Schedule and Near-Term Outlook
Upcoming launches in June reflect the mix of commercial, government, and Starlink-related missions on the calendar:
- June 6, 2025: Falcon 9 launch of the Sirius XM-10 satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- June 8, 2025: Falcon 9 launch of Axiom Mission 4, a crewed flight to the International Space Station.
Maintaining a launch rate of 14–15 missions per month would be necessary to reach the 170-launch goal. Notably, this figure excludes suborbital Starship test flights, which are not counted among orbital missions.
Starship Development and Deep-Space Goals
In parallel with Falcon operations, SpaceX continues to advance development of its Starship launch system. Three test flights have taken place in 2025, following four in 2024.
The upcoming “Version 3” Starship, expected to fly by the end of the year, is a fully stacked 408-foot rocket designed for deep-space missions, including potential crewed flights to Mars.
The company has indicated a possible Mars mission as early as 2026, pending successful orbital refueling and other milestones.
Regulatory Support and Infrastructure Expansion
To support higher launch volume, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently approved SpaceX’s request to increase the number of annual Starship launches from its Boca Chica, Texas site—from five to 25 launches per year.
This regulatory decision aligns with the company’s infrastructure growth and long-term operational goals.
Industry Implications and Broader Impact
SpaceX’s drive to increase its launch frequency reflects more than an effort to break records. It illustrates a broader shift in the aerospace industry toward regular, affordable, and flexible orbital access.
The company’s growing presence in both commercial and government markets signals a long-term strategy to dominate launch services globally.
“This cadence was unimaginable five years ago, and yet, here we are,” Mason noted during the press call, underscoring the significance of the company’s operational evolution.
