SpaceX Achieves 400th Rocket Landing with Successful Falcon 9 Mission

SpaceX reached a significant milestone on January 21, 2025, with the successful launch of 27 Starlink satellites from California. The Falcon 9 rocket completed its mission with a successful landing of its first stage on a drone ship at sea, marking the 400th orbital-class rocket landing for the company. This achievement highlights SpaceX’s progress in reusable spaceflight technology.

The majority of these 400 landings have been accomplished with the Falcon 9 rocket, which has become central to SpaceX’s operations. Several Falcon 9 boosters have completed multiple flights, with one first stage setting a record of 25 launches and landings. Reusability remains a cornerstone of SpaceX’s strategy to lower costs and increase the frequency of space missions.

Falcon Heavy, SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket, has also contributed to this milestone. While it has flown only 11 times, its design, which integrates three Falcon 9 boosters, allows for up to three landings in a single mission, further advancing SpaceX’s heavy-lift capabilities.

Although the 400th landing did not include any landings by SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket, progress on Starship has been notable. The Starship system is designed for human missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Recent tests, such as the successful capture of the Super Heavy booster by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms on January 16, 2025, show promise, although challenges remain in perfecting the upper stage’s flight.

This milestone underscores SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to reusable technology, which continues to push the boundaries of space exploration.