SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 25 Starlink V2 Mini Satellites from Vandenberg, Booster Completes 21st Flight
Summary: SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base's Space Launch Complex 4E on April 15, 2026, delivering 25 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit on the Starlink 17-27 mission. This marks SpaceX's 46th Falcon 9 launch of the year, with first-stage booster B1082 completing its 21st flight.
SpaceX Falcon 9 on the pad. Credit: NASA
Mission Details
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5
- Mission: Starlink 17-27
- Payload: 25 Starlink V2 Mini satellites
- Launch Site: Vandenberg Space Force Base, SLC-4E
- Launch Time: 9:29:49 p.m. PDT (04:29:49 UTC, April 16)
- Orbit: 258 × 246 km, 97° inclination (sun-synchronous)
- Booster: B1082 (21st flight)
- Recovery: First-stage landing on drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean
The mission launched on a southerly trajectory to deploy satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit. Booster B1082, which joined SpaceX's fleet in January 2024, has now completed 17 Starlink delivery missions alongside USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, and NROL-145, demonstrating the exceptional reusability of the Falcon 9 first stage.