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SpaceX Targets Vandenberg Falcon 9 Launch to Place 24 Starlink Satellites

The flight will test booster reuse with a planned 16th‑flight sea landing that supports SpaceX’s heavy West Coast launch cadence.

Overview

  • A Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4‑East at Vandenberg is scheduled to launch Saturday, Aug. 8, within a 7 a.m.–11 a.m. PT window carrying 24 Starlink satellites to low‑Earth orbit.
  • SpaceX will provide a live webcast beginning about five to ten minutes before liftoff on its website and the X TV app so people can follow the mission even if they cannot see it from the ground.
  • First‑stage booster B1093, which has flown 15 previous missions, is assigned to this flight and is slated to attempt a landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific about eight minutes after launch.
  • Flight planners warn that weather or technical issues could push the mission to a backup opportunity the following day as documented in FAA operations guidance.
  • Because the rocket follows a southern trajectory the launch may be hard to spot in Arizona and residents could hear one or more sonic booms depending on atmospheric conditions.