Tonight's launch was SpaceX's 54th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and 56th liftoff so far this year. The other two missions involved Starship, SpaceX's next-generation super-heavy-lift rocket. The company is gearing up for another Starship test flight — the vehicle's ninth overall — in the coming weeks.

Tonight's launch marked the first-ever liftoff for this particular Falcon 9's first stage. That's a rarity for SpaceX, which is known for its rocket reuse; one of the company's Falcon 9 boosters has 27 flights under its belt.