SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket booster for a record SEVENTH time

SpaceX has reused a Falcon 9 rocket for a record breaking seventh time during its most recent mission to put another 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. It comes as the Elon Musk-owned space launch firm is preparing for the first high altitude test flight of its mammoth Starship prototype spaceship - dubbed SN8. Launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 02:13 GMT this morning, the Falcon 9 flight was the seventh time that particular first stage booster had been used. This beat the previous record for a booster of six trips and helps Musk in his mission to bring down the cost of launching payloads from the Earth by reusing equipment. SpaceX was able to recover the booster from the Atlantic Ocean using a drone flight - which means it may be able to fly for an eighth time in the future.