The Starlink mission will send 23 new internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 first stage booster has had 17 prior flights, including the Ax-1 launch in April 2022.

Credit: SpaceX webcast REYKJAVÍK, Iceland — A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a new set of Starlink satellites Dec. 18, setting a new reusability mark for the vehicle in the process.

Reusability is the holy grail of rocketry,” Elon Musk once stated, and Thursday morning on Florida’s Space Coast, that mantra was in full display. At exactly 8:29 a.m. EDT, a Falcon 9 carried 28 ...