Spacex to Boost Starlink Network With 24 Satellite Launch Tonight

WHO:

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX launched 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Space.com - SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is involved in the launch.

WHAT:

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch was part of the Starlink 17-45 mission.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 first stage B1081 made its 25th flight.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The booster landed on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ approximately 8.5 minutes after launch.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - Deployment of the satellites occurred just over an hour into the flight.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - This mission was the seventh of eight launches SpaceX plans from Vandenberg in June.

WHERE:

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch took place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 was launched from Space Launch Complex 4E.

WHEN:

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch occurred on a Wednesday evening.

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Starlink 17-28 mission was launched on June 21.

WHY:

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX is focusing more on Starship operations at Cape Canaveral, leading to increased activity at Vandenberg.

HOW:

[08:30 p.m. PDT] - Spaceflight Now - The satellites were propelled on a south-southwesterly trajectory atop the Falcon 9 rocket.

(UPDATED June 25, 2026 08:09 UTC)

SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites as part of the Starlink 17-45 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 rocket, which made its 25th flight, saw its first stage booster land on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, with satellite deployment occurring just over an hour into the flight. This launch marks the seventh of eight planned missions from Vandenberg in June, as SpaceX shifts its focus more toward Starship operations at Cape Canaveral.