SpaceX flies its 700th Falcon rocket mission

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Sunday afternoon. It carried three communications satellites for SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite operator. The launch looked routine on its own. But it was also the Falcon rocket family's 700th flight since the program began 20 years ago.

SpaceX's first rocket, Falcon 1, failed its first launch back in 2006. Today, the company launches a Falcon rocket every few days. That's a faster pace than most countries have ever managed. This particular flight also finished a specific job. It delivered the last three satellites SES needed for its O3b mPOWER network. That constellation beams broadband internet and phone service to ships, planes, and remote regions without reliable connections.

Keep reading — what to watch

Can Falcon's flight rate keep climbing, or has SpaceX already moved on? The company's attention and money are increasingly going to Starship, a much bigger rocket. Starship is meant to eventually replace Falcon for the heaviest jobs. Falcon 9 remains the world's most-flown orbital rocket for now. Whether that record still matters in five years may depend on how fast Starship catches up.