SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites from California Base Tonight

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, California — SpaceX is preparing to launch its third Falcon 9 rocket within 41 hours this Thursday night. The flight, designated the Starlink 17-11 mission, is set to lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 9:26 p.m. PDT (12:26 a.m. EDT / 0426 UTC).

The rocket is scheduled to deploy 24 Starlink V2 Mini broadband internet satellites into low Earth orbit, approximately one hour after takeoff. The mission will also feature the first stage booster B1082, marking its 16th flight following previous successful launches.

About 8.5 minutes post-launch, booster B1082 will attempt an autonomous landing on the SpaceX drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean. If the landing is successful, it will be a significant event, marking the 153rd landing for this vessel and the 512th booster landing overall.

With this launch, SpaceX will reach its 475th launch of a flight-proven booster and its 540th overall launch of a Falcon 9 rocket. The increasing pace of SpaceX’s launches reflects a robust demand for satellite internet services, aiming to connect more users globally.

Viewers can watch live coverage of the launch starting approximately 30 minutes before liftoff on the Spaceflight Now website.