SpaceX Hits 700 Falcon Launches on Final O3b mPOWER Flight

A Falcon 9 carrying the last three O3b mPOWER satellites for SES marked the 700th mission for SpaceX's Falcon rocket family, closing out the 13-satellite constellation.

On Sept. 13, 2026, a Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 GMT), carrying satellites F11, F12 and F13 for Luxembourg-based SES's O3b mPOWER constellation. The launch marked the 700th mission to date for SpaceX's Falcon rocket family, a tally Spaceflight Now splits into 687 Falcon 9 flights and 13 Falcon Heavy flights. The upper stage released the three Boeing-built satellites at an altitude of about 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) in medium Earth orbit, with deployment staggered over roughly a 14-minute span starting about 33.5 minutes after liftoff.

The Falcon family debuted in March 2006 with Falcon 1, which flew five times — twice successfully — before giving way to the workhorse Falcon 9 in 2010. Spaceflight Now reports this launch was also the 400th orbital liftoff from SLC-40, of which SpaceX was responsible for 345. The Falcon 9 has conducted the vast majority of the family's flights, with Falcon Heavy launching 13 times.

The mission used first-stage booster B1080, flying for the 29th time. According to Spaceflight Now, its prior missions included four trips to the International Space Station, ESA's Euclid observatory, SES' Astra 1P, and 22 Starlink batches. The booster landed about 8.5 minutes after liftoff on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic — per Spaceflight Now, the 166th landing on that vessel and the 661st Falcon booster landing to date. Fittingly, Spaceflight Now notes B1080 also flew the first Dragon mission from the pad after its crew and cargo access tower was added in 2023.

The trio completes a 13-satellite constellation in medium Earth orbit. SES already operates 10 O3b mPOWER satellites, and says the system is purpose-built to deliver predictable low latency, exceptional throughput and flexibility for industries where uptime isn't optional, pairing software-defined satellites with an intelligent ground ecosystem. Boeing built the spacecraft, which weigh about 3,750 pounds (1,700 kg) apiece; SpaceX has launched all 13 across six Falcon 9 missions beginning in December 2022. SES chief product and innovation officer Xavier Bertran said the delivery lets the company ramp up capabilities to meet growing commercial and government demand.

Spaceflight Now reports the program hit a setback before satellites five and six launched: an electrical issue was discovered that affected both broadband capacity and estimated operational life. To compensate, Boeing modified satellites 7 through 11 and two additional spacecraft were added to the original constellation plan. Boeing delivered the final trio to SES in early September 2026, and Boeing Satellite Systems International president Ryan Reid said the fully operational constellation proves the effectiveness of its software-defined payload technologies for demanding commercial and allied military missions.

Boeing says the three new satellites are expected to enter service by mid-2027 after completing orbit-raising maneuvers and checkouts and commissioning. The launch was also SpaceX's 107th orbital mission of 2026, per space.com — 105 by Falcon 9 and two by Falcon Heavy — on top of two suborbital Starship test flights, with a third Starship flight gearing up to take the vehicle orbital for the first time. For SES, the completed MEO constellation sets the stage for expanded broadband offerings even as global bandwidth demand surges.