SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites after 11 day gap

SpaceX lifted off from California on Thursday evening to deploy its latest batch of internet satellites.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink Group 15 15 spacecraft departed Pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 6:48 p.m. EDT. The first stage booster, designated B1063, separated from the upper stage 2.5 minutes into the flight. The fairing that protected the payload during ascent was jettisoned just before the three minute mark.

Booster B1063 landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You after a mission clock passing eight minutes. This marked the 36th launch and landing for that specific vehicle. The booster previously carried NASA’s DART asteroid deflection mission in November 2021. The upper stage was scheduled to coast for 45 minutes before a final burn to place the satellites into low Earth orbit.

The launch brings the total number of active Starlink spacecraft to more than 11,000. However, the frequency of these flights has decreased as the company focuses on developing Starship. Starship is designed to be fully reusable and has a larger payload bay capable of carrying Version 3 Starlink satellites, which are too large for the Falcon 9. SpaceX intends to phase out the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets once Starship begins operational flights.

The shift in launch activity is evident in recent records. The 100th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, which carried Starlink 10 49 from Cape Canaveral, was the final Starlink mission to fly from Florida’s Space Coast. The interval between the most recent Starlink launch and the Oct. 23 flight was 11 days. That previous flight had itself been the first in more than three weeks, a stark contrast to the peak cadence of every two to three days.

The Oct. 23 mission was the 116th Falcon 9 flight of 2026. Approximately 75% of this year’s launches have been dedicated to Starlink. The reduced pace suggests 2025, which saw 165 launches, will remain the rocket’s busiest year on record. At the current rate, the Falcon 9 is expected to complete just under 150 missions by the end of 2026.