Spacex Successfully Launches 24 Starlink Satellites From California

WHO:

Space.com - SpaceX is the organization responsible for the launch.

Spaceflight Now - Jonathan McDowell is an astronomer and orbital tracker mentioned in relation to the statistics of satellites.

WHAT:

Space.com - SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink satellites into Earth orbit.

Spaceflight Now - The mission is identified as Starlink 17-40, which adds to SpaceX’s low Earth orbit constellation.

Spaceflight Now - SpaceX has more than 10,700 satellites currently in orbit.

Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster, tail number B1088, completed its 17th flight.

WHERE:

Space.com - The launch took place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East.

WHEN:

Space.com - The launch occurred on Sunday, June 28, 2026.

Spaceflight Now - Liftoff took place at 9:09 a.m. PDT (12:09 p.m. EDT / 1609 UTC).

Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 rocket has launched a total of 75 times in the first half of 2026.

WHY:

Spaceflight Now - The purpose of the launch was to support SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.

HOW:

Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 rocket flew on a south-southwesterly trajectory after liftoff.

Spaceflight Now - The booster B1088 landed on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ in the Pacific Ocean, marking the 206th landing on this vessel and the 630th booster landing overall.

(UPDATED June 28, 2026 19:20 UTC)

SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink satellites into Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, contributing to their growing low Earth orbit constellation. The Falcon 9 rocket, with its first stage booster tail number B1088, completed its 17th flight and landed on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ in the Pacific Ocean, marking the 206th landing on that vessel. This mission, identified as Starlink 17-40, adds to SpaceX's impressive total of more than 10,700 satellites currently in orbit.