Groundhog Day launch sends SpaceX Starlink satellites into Earth orbit from California (video)

In a repeat of many, many (many) days past, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has yet again delivered a batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

The first stage of an orbital rocket stands on its four landing legs atop an ocean-based droneship following a launch into space. — The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on its landing legs atop the ocean-based droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Previous Booster 1071 missions

That deployment did happen on schedule, but not everything went according to plan with the Falcon 9's upper stage. It "experienced an off-nominal condition during preparation for the deorbit burn. The vehicle then performed as designed to successfully passivate the stage," SpaceX wrote via X on Monday afternoon. "Teams are reviewing data to determine root cause and corrective actions before returning to flight."

The rocket's first stage, meanwhile, receded back to Earth (much like Phil), landing on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The flight was the 31st for the booster, which is designated B1071. That's just one short of SpaceX's reuse record, which was set by the booster 1067 in December 2025. (By comparison, this was the 110th time that the groundhog has seen his shadow since 1887, according to various sources.)

SpaceX's Starlink service provides broadband internet service to areas around the world where connectivity is sparse or non-existent. The network can be used to look up the winter weather forecast on some airlines and from smart phones on select carriers.

Monday's launch was SpaceX's 14th launch of the year. The Starlink megaconstellation now numbers 9,628 active satellites, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 4:10 a.m. ET on Feb. 3 with news of the issue with the Falcon 9 upper stage.

Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018.

In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History. In 2023, the National Space Club Florida Committee recognized Pearlman with the Kolcum News and Communications Award for excellence in telling the space story along the Space Coast and throughout the world.

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