SpaceX Achieves 600 Falcon 9 First Stage Landings and Retires JRTI Drone Ship

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:32:00 +0200

On April 19, 2026, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg's SLC-4E, carrying 25 Starlink v2 satellites in mission Starlink Group 17-22. The booster, B1097, completed its eighth flight and safely landed on the OCISLY drone ship in the Pacific. This mission marked the 600th successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage—a remarkable milestone in reusable rocketry, reflecting SpaceX's rapid operational cadence and reliability. In parallel, Blue Origin achieved significant progress with its New Glenn rocket, recovering a first stage for the second time. SpaceX also retired the JRTI drone ship after 156 first stage recoveries; JRTI will now be repurposed for transporting Starships and Super Heavy boosters. This milestone highlights SpaceX's role in revolutionizing orbital launch operations and stage recovery, demonstrating high reliability, reuse, and efficiency compared to competitors. The article also details the history and evolution of SpaceX's drone ships, from JR