Liftoff Videos

Every mission, with the videos that tell it

Satellite launch

A satellite launch mission puts one or more uncrewed spacecraft into orbit, for communications, Earth observation or defence. These flights have no crew and no destination beyond the orbit chosen. This list includes ORBCOMM-2, also listed as Falcon 9 Orbcomm OG2 Flight 2, on which a Falcon 9 first stage landed upright for the first time in December 2015, and the commercial and government launches that followed, such as ViaSat-3 F3 and the Space Development Agency Tranche 0 (second mission). Most of what orbits Earth sits in low Earth orbit, below about 2,000 kilometres. Wikipedia counts Falcon 9 as the most frequently launched active rocket.

Events

Videos on this topic

The videos, in date order

Drag, zoom or press play to watch them on this page.

  1. ORBCOMM-2: Falcon 9’s Return to Flight and First Land Landing

    SpaceX

  2. Falcon 9 Orbcomm Launch: 11 Satellites and a First Stage Landing

    SpaceX

  3. Falcon 9 Launches 56 Starlink Satellites on an 8th Booster Flight

    SpaceX

  4. Falcon 9 Launches 48 Starlink Satellites on a 12th Booster Flight

    SpaceX

  5. Falcon 9 Flies Booster for a Record 16th Time on Starlink Launch

    SpaceX

  6. Falcon 9 Launches the Last 54 Starlink V1.5 Satellites from SLC-40

    SpaceX

  7. Falcon 9 Starlink 6-15: 10th Booster Flight After a T-5s Abort

    SpaceX

  8. Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink V2 Minis on a Sixth-Flight Booster

    SpaceX

  9. Falcon Heavy JUPITER 3 Countdown Aborted at T-1:05, Launch Scrubbed

    SpaceX

  10. Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites on a 15th Booster Flight

    SpaceX

  11. Falcon Heavy Launches Hughes JUPITER 3 After a Valve Scrub

    SpaceX

  12. Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites on a Fourth Booster Flight

    SpaceX

  13. Falcon 9 Launches 15 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg in Fog

    SpaceX

  14. Falcon 9 Starlink Launch: 22 Satellites and a 13th Booster Landing

    SpaceX

  15. SDA Tranche 0 Launch: Falcon 9’s 13th Flight from Vandenberg

    SpaceX

  16. Tranche 1 Transport Layer C: Falcon 9 Lofts 21 Satellites

    Everyday Astronaut

  17. Rocket Lab Electron Bridging the Swarm: NEONSAT-1A Launch Scrubbed

    Everyday Astronaut

  18. Electron Launches Earth Observation Satellite From Mahia LC-1

    Rocket Lab

  19. Electron Launches the Eighth StriX Satellite for Synspective

    Rocket Lab

  20. Electron Launches ESA’s Celeste IOD Satellites to 510 km Orbit

    Rocket Lab

  21. Kakushin Rising: Electron Deploys Eight JAXA Satellites to Orbit

    Rocket Lab

  22. ViaSat-3 F3 Falcon Heavy: Weather Stops the First Flight Since 2024

    Everyday Astronaut

  23. Falcon Heavy Launches ViaSat-3 F3 and Lands Both Side Boosters

    Everyday Astronaut

  24. Electron Delivers a StriX Radar Satellite to Orbit for Synspective

    Rocket Lab

  25. Victus Haze: Electron Launches Pioneer on Under 17 Hours Notice

    Rocket Lab

  26. Electron Launch 91: Rocket Lab Deploys Its 10th StriX Satellite

    Rocket Lab

  27. Electron Launches iQPS MIKURA-I Radar Satellite from New Zealand

    Rocket Lab

  28. Electron’s 93rd Launch Puts iQPS Radar Satellite in 575 km Orbit

    Rocket Lab

  29. TIROS 1: The First Weather Satellite and Its Fuzzy First Images

    Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

  30. Vega C Launches FLEX and Sentinel-3C on a Shared Flight

    European Space Agency, ESA

  31. Owl By The Dozen: Electron Deploys a 12th StriX Radar Satellite

    Rocket Lab

  32. Electron Launches the 13th StriX Radar Satellite for Synspective

    Rocket Lab

  33. Smile: How ESA and China Built a Satellite in Two Years

    European Space Agency, ESA

  34. Starlink 15-25: Falcon 9 B1088 Launch and Landing at Vandenberg

    NASASpaceflight

  35. Galileo: How Europe Built Its Own Satellite Navigation System

    European Space Agency, ESA

  36. Bandwagon-5: Falcon 9 Rideshare Launch With Starfall Capsule

    NASASpaceflight

  37. Rocket Lab’s 98th Electron Launch Deploys Three HawkEye 360 Satellites

    Rocket Lab

  38. Starship Flight 14: First Orbit and 26 Starlink V3 Satellites

    Beyond The Space
Play video: Starship Flight 14: First Orbit and 26 Starlink V3 Satellites

Starship Flight 14: First Orbit and 26 Starlink V3 Satellites

Beyond The Space

Duration 26:09

Watch video

Dates are when each video was first published on YouTube.

All the videos

  1. Electron Launches Earth Observation Satellite From Mahia LC-1

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 31:21

    Mission: Insight At Speed Is A Friend Indeed (2026)

  2. Tranche 1 Transport Layer C: Falcon 9 Lofts 21 Satellites

    Launch coverageEveryday Astronaut · 1:30:52

    Mission: Tranche 1 Transport Layer C (2025)

  3. TIROS 1: The First Weather Satellite and Its Fuzzy First Images

    Mission explainerSmithsonian National Air and Space Museum · 6:23

    Mission: TIROS 1

  4. Electron Launch 91: Rocket Lab Deploys Its 10th StriX Satellite

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 1:20:12

    Mission: 10 Owl Of 10 (2026)

  5. Victus Haze: Electron Launches Pioneer on Under 17 Hours Notice

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 34:50

    Mission: Victus Haze (2026)

  6. Electron Delivers a StriX Radar Satellite to Orbit for Synspective

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 1:20:20

    Mission: Viva La StriX (2026)

  7. Kakushin Rising: Electron Deploys Eight JAXA Satellites to Orbit

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 1:14:40

    Mission: Kakushin Rising (2026)

  8. Electron Launches ESA’s Celeste IOD Satellites to 510 km Orbit

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 1:18:05

    Mission: Daughter Of The Stars (2026)

  9. Electron Launches the Eighth StriX Satellite for Synspective

    Launch coverageRocket Lab · 1:16:24

    Mission: Eight Days A Week (2026)

  10. Rocket Lab Electron Bridging the Swarm: NEONSAT-1A Launch Scrubbed

    Launch coverageEveryday Astronaut · 1:08:51

    Mission: Bridging the Swarm

  11. Starlink 15-25: Falcon 9 B1088 Launch and Landing at Vandenberg

    Launch coverageNASASpaceflight · 1:17:03

    Mission: Starlink 15-25 (2026)

  12. Bandwagon-5: Falcon 9 Rideshare Launch With Starfall Capsule

    Launch coverageNASASpaceflight · 1:32:21

    Mission: Bandwagon-5 (2026)

  13. Vega C Launches FLEX and Sentinel-3C on a Shared Flight

    Launch coverageEuropean Space Agency, ESA · 2:50:20

    Mission: FLEX and Sentinel-3C (2026)

  14. Falcon 9 Launches 56 Starlink Satellites on an 8th Booster Flight

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 19:45

    Mission: Starlink (2023)

  15. Falcon 9 Launches 48 Starlink Satellites on a 12th Booster Flight

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 18:50

    Mission: Starlink Mission (2023)

  16. Smile: How ESA and China Built a Satellite in Two Years

    DocumentaryEuropean Space Agency, ESA · 44:36

    Mission: Smile

  17. Falcon 9 Launches the Last 54 Starlink V1.5 Satellites from SLC-40

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 18:46

    Mission: Starlink V1.5 (Falcon 9, 54 satellites) (2023)

  18. Falcon Heavy JUPITER 3 Countdown Aborted at T-1:05, Launch Scrubbed

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 23:26

    Mission: Hughes JUPITER 3 (2023)

  19. Falcon 9 Flies Booster for a Record 16th Time on Starlink Launch

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 20:20

    Mission: Starlink Mission (2023)

  20. Falcon 9 Starlink 6-15: 10th Booster Flight After a T-5s Abort

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 18:50

    Mission: Starlink Group 6-15 (2023)

  21. Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink V2 Minis on a Sixth-Flight Booster

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 18:45

    Mission: Starlink Mission (2023)

  22. Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites on a 15th Booster Flight

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 19:35

    Mission: Starlink Mission (2023)

  23. Falcon Heavy Launches Hughes JUPITER 3 After a Valve Scrub

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 3:50:00

    Mission: Hughes JUPITER 3 (2023)

  24. Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites on a Fourth Booster Flight

    Launch coverageSpaceX · 18:26

    Mission: Starlink Mission (2023)

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