SpaceX Soars: Rapid Launches, Dragon Moonlight, and Looming Milestones

SpaceX continues to make headlines with a rapid string of launches and fresh moments in the spotlight. On Friday, June 13, SpaceX successfully launched more than 20 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, dodging any so-called bad luck on this superstitiously notable day. The mission, named Starlink 12-26, lifted off from Launch Complex 40, boosting 23 satellites—including 13 with the latest Direct-to-Cell capability—into low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 booster performed yet another flawless landing on the droneship “Just Read The Instructions” in the Atlantic, reinforcing SpaceX’s cadence and reliability in commercial spaceflight, according to Spectrum News 13’s latest coverage.

Just a few days earlier, the company’s social media drew plenty of attention by posting a breathtaking photo of its Dragon spacecraft illuminated by the June full moon, sometimes called the Strawberry Moon. According to Space.com, the spacecraft was sitting poised at Kennedy Space Center, and the spectacle stood out not just for the beautiful moonlight, but because the Dragon is currently the only vehicle capable of returning large cargo from the International Space Station to Earth—a key technology as commercial operations at the ISS ramp up ahead of the station’s planned retirement at decade’s end.

A major operational milestone is also approaching as SpaceX prepares to debut its fifth and final Crew Dragon capsule during Axiom Space’s fourth commercial mission to the ISS. This year marks the third consecutive year the company has completed six Dragon missions, but in 2025, that entire launch cadence is packed into just over five months. Spaceflight Now reports that this will culminate with CRS-33, a mission designed to test new hardware needed for NASA’s ISS Deorbit Vehicle, which is critical for safely retiring the space station.

On the social media and gossip front, SpaceX and Elon Musk have been at the center of a fresh political feud. The Economic Times describes how former President Trump publicly threatened to cancel all government contracts with Musk’s companies, a move that put almost $22 billion in NASA programs at risk. Musk responded with a dramatic, now-deleted post on X suggesting SpaceX would begin decommissioning its Dragon fleet. While he later backed off, this episode sparked a storm of memes and debate, with the hashtag #SaveDragon trending.

With more Starlink launches on schedule and the Starship program eyeing its first Florida launch later this year, SpaceX’s momentum isn’t letting up, on the launch pads or online. Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.