SpaceX Launches Starlink 10-53 Mission, Falcon 9 Booster Achieves 616th Landing
Summary: On May 29, 2026 at 12:57 UTC (8:57 a.m. EDT), SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, delivering 29 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. First stage booster B1085 completed its 16th flight and successfully landed on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" — marking SpaceX's 616th booster landing. B1085 had previously supported NASA's Crew-9, Fram2, and Firefly's Blue Ghost Mission 1.
Launch Overview
The Starlink 10-53 mission launched at 12:57 UTC on May 29 (8:57 a.m. EDT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 flew on a north-easterly trajectory, deploying 29 Starlink broadband internet satellites to low Earth orbit. SpaceX's Starlink constellation currently consists of more than 10,000 operational spacecraft.
The mission was powered by Falcon 9 first stage booster B1085, making its 16th flight. This booster had previously supported major missions including NASA's Crew-9 crewed mission, the Fram2 mission, and Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1.
Booster Recovery
Approximately 8 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff, B1085 made a precise touchdown on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" (ASG) stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This was the 152nd landing on the ASG vessel and the 616th overall booster landing in SpaceX's history.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster recovery technology has become highly mature, with first stage landings now a routine part of operations, significantly reducing launch costs.
Mission Background
Starlink 10-53 was SpaceX's penultimate planned flight of May 2026. The company conducted multiple Starlink launches throughout May, including Starlink 10-31 from Cape Canaveral on May 21, Starlink 17-42 from Vandenberg on May 20, and the CRS-34 cargo resupply mission on May 15.