SpaceX Successfully Deploys 28 Starlink V2 Mini Satellites on Falcon 9 Mission

On April 23, 2025, SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, named Starlink 6-74, lifted off at 9:52 p.m. EDT and followed a southeast trajectory. The Falcon 9 first stage booster, designated B1069, marked its 23rd flight. Previous missions for this booster included CRS-24, Eutelsat Hotbird 13F, and 18 prior Starlink deployments. Roughly eight and a half minutes post-liftoff, the booster landed safely on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas. This was the 105th landing on this specific droneship and the 435th overall booster recovery for SpaceX. The satellite deployment occurred 65 minutes after liftoff. These satellites are believed to be optimized lighter-weight V2 Mini models, part of SpaceX’s broader plan to expand global internet coverage through its Starlink program. Just prior to the launch, SpaceX announced new Starlink service availability in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, underlining the continuing global rollout of its satellite internet service.