Early on the morning of Dec. 17, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with a group of Starlink satellites to provide internet to underserved areas. It was the 109th launch of the year breaking the record of 93 launches during the previous 12 months. As 2026 dawned, NASA also stands at the cusp of a new era of exploration as the agency prepares to renew human exploration of the Moon.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon lifted off at 7:03 p.m. EDT on March 14, 2025, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center for the Crew-10 mission. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov of Russia plan a six-month stay aboard the International Space Station. Ongoing research aboard the orbiting laboratory is designed to benefit humans living on and off the Earth.
As 2024 came to a close, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaked into the pre-dawn skies over Florida’s Space Coast on Dec. 31 marking the 93rd liftoff of the year. It broke the record of 72 set the year before and shattered the mark of 57 in 2022. During the peak of NASA’s Gemini Program, the previous record was 33 launched in 1966 during the lead up to the Apollo lunar landing effort.