SpaceX has been firing on all cylinders this week with a major California launch and a significant expansion announcement for Florida operations.

On December 2nd, SpaceX successfully launched its 60th mission of the year from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink satellites lifted off at 9:28 PM Pacific time, deploying its payload to low Earth orbit about 62 minutes after launch. The rocket's first stage booster, designated B1081, made a perfect landing on the SpaceX droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean. This was the booster's 20th mission, having previously supported critical launches including NASA's Crew-7 mission, cargo resupply flights, and multiple national security payloads. SpaceX's California operations continue to be remarkably productive, with the company now operating at an unprecedented pace across all its facilities.

Just before this launch, SpaceX announced a game-changing approval from the Department of the Air Force. The company has received authorization to develop Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station specifically for Starship operations. This historic pad redevelopment is already underway, and once completed, could support up to 76 Starship launches and 152 landings annually. Elon Musk took to social media to thank the U.S. Space Force, highlighting that with three launch pads in Florida, Starship will be ready to support America's national security needs and NASA's Artemis program.

The broader context here is significant. SpaceX has now conducted 153 Falcon 9 flights this year alone, with 110 dedicated to Starlink deployment. The company's broadband megaconstellation now boasts over 9,100 operational satellites in low Earth orbit. On the Florida Space Coast, the company has launched 94 Falcon 9 missions in 2025 from Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center combined, alongside five suborbital Starship test flights from their Texas facility.

Musk's recent social media activity also reveals ambitious plans beyond near-term operations. He's been discussing plans to deploy solar-powered AI datacenter satellites into orbit, with projections that Starship could deliver around 300 gigawatts per year of such satellites. This vision aligns with broader industry trends, as Amazon and Jeff Bezos have shown similar interest in orbital infrastructure.

These developments paint a picture of SpaceX operating at maximum capacity, simultaneously maintaining the world's most active launch cadence while preparing for the next generation of heavy-lift operations with Starship. The approval for Complex 37 represents crucial infrastructure expansion for sustained operations.

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