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New record! SpaceX launches 2 Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart
Space • • business
Key Points:
- SpaceX set a new record for the shortest time between orbital flights by launching two Falcon 9 rockets just 38 minutes apart on August 15, 2026, breaking its previous record by 27 minutes.
- The first launch from Cape Canaveral deployed eight Globalstar satellites to low Earth orbit, while the second from Vandenberg Space Force Base carried the classified USSF-366 mission for the U.S. Space Force.
- The USSF-366 mission likely involves national security satellites based on SpaceX's Starshield satellite bus, though specific deployment details remain undisclosed due to its classified nature.
- Both Falcon 9 boosters landed successfully post-launch; the Globalstar booster completed its 14th flight, and the USSF-366 booster its 18th, demonstrating SpaceX's reusability capabilities.
- With these launches, SpaceX has conducted 96 Falcon 9 missions in 2026 so far, with approximately 75% dedicated to Starlink satellite deployments.
