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2d ago

SpaceX Falcon 9 Delivers 27 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg

The flight underscores SpaceX's rapid Starlink build‑out through repeated booster reuse.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 streaks skyward from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, during a Starlink launch on March 17, 2023. SpaceX has continued launching Starlink missions at a rapid clip, with two more Group 15 flights from Vandenberg on the schedule this week. Credit: SpaceX, via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0
This graphic shows the potential for clouds in Arizona ahead of the next launch window opening at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
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Overview

  • The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in a four‑hour window that opened at 12:46 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and deployed 27 Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit.
  • The rocket's first stage, Booster 1063, flew its 35th mission and touched down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You about 8.5 minutes after launch for recovery and planned reuse.
  • SpaceX streamed the mission beginning roughly ten minutes before liftoff and the upper stage released the satellites about 62 minutes after launch.
  • The southeast flight path made the overnight launch visible across Southern California and into Arizona and Vandenberg warned residents to expect low rumbles or sonic booms up to about 10 minutes after liftoff while weather could limit viewing.
  • The mission continues a high launch cadence for Starlink in 2026, with this flight counted among the year's busiest Falcon 9 operations and FAA filings listing a backup launch opportunity the following day if a scrub occurred.