SpaceX successfully launched its 100th Falcon 9 rocket of 2025 on August 18 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The milestone mission, designated Starlink 17-5, deployed 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. This achievement marks a rapid increase in SpaceX's launch cadence, with 100 Falcon 9 launches completed in just over eight months, compared to 96 launches for the entire year of 2023. Following this, SpaceX prepared for another mission at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On August 21, SpaceX launched the USSF-36 mission carrying the Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, a reusable military spaceplane operated by the U.S. Space Force. The launch took place from Launch Complex 39A at 11:50 p.m. EDT. This marked the eighth flight of the X-37B program and the third Falcon 9 launch for the spacecraft, which is managed by the U.S. Space Force and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The mission is classified, with details on its duration undisclosed. The Falcon 9 booster B1092-6 performed a return-to-site landing at Landing Zone 2 in Florida. The X-37B is designed to study experimental technologies in orbit and plays a role in U.S. space defense efforts, although its specific objectives remain undisclosed.