Time-lapse: The Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon roll to the launch pad (members only)

SpaceX founder Elon Musk detailed progress on the company’s next-generation Starship program Monday, saying the huge rocket could “probably” attempt its first launch into Earth orbit next year, and adding that the Starship will fly hundreds of missions before SpaceX puts people on-board.

The mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base was the seventh flight for the NRO in 2024 and included 20 Starlink satellites. Liftoff from pad 4 East occurred at 12:10 a.m. PST (3:10 a.m. EST, 0810 UTC).

SpaceX successfully launched 60 more Starlink internet satellites Monday night from Cape Canaveral, but lost the Falcon 9 rocket’s reusable first stage booster during a landing attempt on a drone ship parked in the Atlantic Ocean.