SpaceX Targets Launch of 26 Starlink Satellites from California Tonight

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – SpaceX is set to launch 26 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit tonight, June 17, 2025. The mission, named Starlink 15-9, will liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 8:36 p.m. PDT (11:36 p.m. EDT, 0336 UTC).

This will mark the 200th orbital launch from the site. The Falcon 9 rocket, designated with booster tail number B1093, will make its third flight after successfully completing previous missions, including Starlink 11-11 and Starlink 15-5.

Approximately eight minutes after takeoff, B1093 will attempt to land on the droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’. If successful, this will represent the 137th recovery on that vessel and the overall 463rd booster landing to date.

Since its first launch in 1964, Space Launch Complex 4 East has seen various missions, primarily involving Falcon 9 rockets, which account for 131 of the previous 199 launches from the pad. SpaceX plans to use this complex alongside SLC-6 for future missions.

In related news, the Biden administration expressed continued support for NASA’s Artemis program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon, though questions remain about the timeline for the planned lunar landing by the end of 2024.

SpaceX has two Falcon Heavy launches for the U.S. Space Force scheduled for July and October, while United Launch Alliance will conduct four national security missions this year.

After a successful test of the Starship last week, SpaceX is preparing to build the first prototype for the next-gen rocket’s massive first-stage booster. Testing for the Raptor engine model, essential for orbital Starship missions, is also on the horizon.