It's also the second Starlink mission to launch in a week, as SpaceX's last mission blasted off on Tuesday (May 4). .
When SpaceX debuted the souped-up version of its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket in 2018, the company said that each launcher would be capable of flying at least 10 times with minimal refurbishment in between launches, and 100 times total.SpaceX has learned a lot about the refurbishment process, and the company's CEO and founder, Elon Musk, says that SpaceX will continue to push Falcon 9 to the limit as it works to expand its Starlink mega constellation. .
To date, the company has launched more than 1,500 of the flat-paneled satellites into space.Related: SpaceX's 1st 'Block 5' Falcon 9 Rocket: The Launch Photos.Sunday's launch marks the 118th flight overall for SpaceX's 229-foot-tall (70 meters) Falcon 9 booster.The Falcon 9 stage then switched to Starlink duty, ferrying a trio of different Starlink payloads followed by a broadband satellite for Sirius-XM.
Now back on Starlink duty, B1051 is about to launch its 4th Starlink mission in a row.The veteran is one of the oldest boosters in SpaceX's fleet and is the first to attempt a 10th launch and landing!