SpaceX reached a significant launch milestone on Thursday as one of its Falcon 9 boosters completed its 36th flight, carrying 29 Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit. This event occurred as the company’s stock seeks to recover from a recent downturn.
Launch and Starlink Expansion
The Falcon 9 booster, designated B1067, launched from Cape Canaveral. This particular booster has a history of reuse, having previously flown on a NASA cargo mission in June 2021, carried the Crew-3 and Crew-4 astronaut missions, and deployed 24 batches of Starlink satellites. While the booster set a new SpaceX reuse record, NASA’s space shuttle Discovery still holds the overall record with 39 flights.
The launch coincided with updated figures for SpaceX’s Starlink business, which indicate an acceleration in satellite deployments. In the first half of 2026, SpaceX deployed 1,589 Starlink satellites, exceeding the 1,489 deployed during the same period in 2025, according to launch data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell. The company deployed a total of 3,180 Starlink satellites in 2025 and has launched over 12,400 since the constellation’s inception. Currently, nearly 11,000 of these satellites are operational, with more than 10,700 actively in orbit.
Market Context and Analyst Outlook
These operational achievements come at a time when SpaceX’s stock has experienced pressure. Shares hit an all-time low of $145.20 on Wednesday before closing at $149.29, falling below its $150 market debut price. The company’s inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index did not immediately trigger the expected buying activity from investors.
Thursday’s launch marked the 80th Falcon 9 mission of 2026. Approximately 80% of SpaceX’s flights this year have been dedicated to expanding the Starlink constellation, which is already the largest satellite network ever assembled. The company’s robust launch and operational capabilities are highlighted by reports of competitor Blue Origin’s recent fundraising, while its New Glenn rocket remains grounded after an engine test failure earlier this year that damaged its launch pad.
William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma adjusted his valuation for SpaceX’s rocket business. Following Blue Origin’s reported $10 billion fundraise at a $130 billion valuation, DiPalma now estimates SpaceX’s rocket launch business to be worth $546 billion, an increase from his previous estimate of $300 billion. He maintained an Outperform rating on SpaceX stock.
Steve Lopez is the Editorial Page Editor for News Raise. He covers Health. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards for his reporting and column writing at seven newspapers and four news magazines.
