SpaceX early Sunday morning launched its first Twilight rideshare flight from California, launching satellites for NASA, an Internet-of-Things services company and an experiment to 3-D print a boom in space.

Starlink is separately planning to launch yet another 15,000 satellites that are designed for mobile service. SpaceX asked the FCC to approve this plan in September 2025, saying the “new system will offer a new generation of MSS connectivity, supporting voice, texting, and high-speed data.”

SpaceX's third mission of 2026 is in the books. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 29 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday (Jan. 9) at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 GMT).

By now you've heard the news: SpaceX will conduct an initial public offering of stock in 2026 -- at a valuation of $1.5 trillion. CEO Elon Musk personally owns 42% of the company. Added to the $484 billion Musk is already worth, a $1.5 trillion valuation on SpaceX would make him officially the world's first trillionaire.

For just the second time in 2026, a SpaceX rocket is due to blast off from Southern California. Here's how to watch a livestream of the launch.

The FCC's partial grant lets SpaceX operate 7,500 more satellites, for a total of over 19,000 in Earth's orbit, and use even more radio bands at higher power limits.

The Federal Communications Commission said on Friday it has approved SpaceX's request to deploy another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites as it works to boost internet service worldwide.

The Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX’s request to deploy an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites.

The Federal Communications Commission has given SpaceX approval to launch another 7,500 of its second generation Starlink satellites.

The FCC approved SpaceX’s plan to launch an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites on Friday. That brings the total number of satellites the company will have in orbit to around 15,000 worldwide. As part of the approval, the government is also waiving previous requirements that prevented overlapping coverage and enhanced capacity.

Shotwell has an expansive role at the rocket and satellite company, helping to foster its rise. With an IPO looming, the toughest stretch may still lie ahead.