A Falcon 9 booster turns five years old—and just set a remarkable reuse record

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster B1067 marked its fifth anniversary in operation on Monday with its 35th successful mission, launching 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida. The booster lifted off and landed on the drone ship *A Shortfall of Gravitas* in the Atlantic Ocean, maintaining its record as the most-flown rocket in SpaceX’s fleet. Originally debuting over five years ago to deliver a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, B1067 later supported astronaut missions and commercial launches before transitioning primarily to Starlink deployments. Its rapid reuse—including multiple launches in a single month—has become a hallmark of SpaceX’s efficiency, with the booster undergoing refurbishment between flights. The milestone brings B1067 closer to SpaceX’s stated goal of qualifying Falcon 9 first stages for 40 missions each, a target announced over two years ago. With the booster’s track record of reliable landings and refurbishment, industry observers speculate SpaceX may push beyond this limit, further extending the operational lifespan of its rockets. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 now launches so frequently—multiple times a week—that its flights have become routine. Yet the rocket remains central to the company’s success, underpinning its satellite deployments, commercial contracts, and broader ambitions in space exploration. The booster’s longevity also reflects SpaceX’s engineering advancements in rocket reusability, a key factor in its market valuation and operational cost efficiency. While the 35th launch may seem incremental, it underscores the reliability of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 fleet, which now rivals the space shuttle *Discovery*’s record of 39 missions over decades. The achievement highlights how reusable rockets are reshaping the aerospace industry, reducing costs and accelerating access to space.