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SpaceX Plans Night Launch of 24 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg

A drone‑ship booster recovery is planned in the Pacific with an FAA advisory listing a next‑day backup.

Overview

  • SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, July 1, for a nighttime Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg with a four‑hour window opening at 7 p.m. Pacific Time.
  • The mission, Starlink 17‑46, will deploy 24 Starlink internet satellites into low‑Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4‑East.
  • The Falcon 9 first stage for this flight is booster B1100, which will attempt a landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You stationed in the Pacific.
  • The company will stream the launch beginning minutes before liftoff and officials say the rocket may be visible in parts of Arizona depending on the south‑southwesterly trajectory.
  • The flight continues SpaceX’s high launch cadence for Starlink, with recent reporting putting the constellation above 10,700 satellites and missions using reusable boosters to speed deployments.