Falcon 9 Lifts Off From California With 27 Starlink Satellites

WHO:

[No UTC time stated] - Space.com - SpaceX launched the mission using a Falcon 9 rocket.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The Starlink 15-16 mission involved SpaceX and Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1082.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - B1082 had previously flown USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, NROL-145, Transporter-18, and 21 batches of Starlink V2 mini satellites.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The booster landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.”

WHAT:

[No UTC time stated] - Space.com - SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 first stage landed on the drone ship.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The satellites were scheduled for release from the Falcon 9 second stage after a short circularization burn, about an hour into flight.

WHERE:

[No UTC time stated] - Space.com - The Falcon 9 lifted off from California.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The Starlink 15-16 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The booster targeted an orbit inclined 70 degrees to the equator, heading southeast from California’s central coast.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - B1082 landed in the Pacific Ocean, off Baja California, Mexico.

HOW:

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - Booster B1082 made its 26th flight on the mission; it had entered service in January 2024.

[No UTC time stated] - Spaceflight Now - The booster attempted a landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.”

(UPDATED October 27, 2026 16:15 UTC)

SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket’s first stage, booster B1082, completed its 26th flight and landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean off Baja California, Mexico. The satellites were scheduled to deploy from the second stage about an hour into the flight, following a brief burn to circularize their orbit.