Overview
- A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday night and placed 24 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit.
- Booster B1081 completed its 26th mission and returned to land on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You about eight and a half minutes after liftoff.
- SpaceX streamed the event on its website and on X TV beginning minutes before launch for viewers who could not see the flight in person.
- Because the rocket followed a southern trajectory, sighting in Arizona was uncertain and residents were warned that sonic booms could occur depending on weather.
- The new satellites join more than 10,800 Starlink craft in orbit and underscore how SpaceX's reuse of Falcon 9 boosters helps it maintain a high launch cadence.