SpaceX hits 100 launches in 2026 as Starlink tops 11,000 satellites

SpaceX reached its 100th orbital launch of 2026 in the early hours of August 19 with a Falcon 9 flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base, crossing the century mark for the third year in a row and about two months faster than it did in 2024. Falcon 9 flew 97 of the 100 missions and roughly three-quarters were dedicated to Starlink, whose broadband constellation has now pushed past 11,000 satellites in orbit, accounting for close to two-thirds of all active spacecraft around Earth.