California, USA – January 22, 2026 – SpaceX illuminated the night sky over Vandenberg Space Force Base with the launch of 25 new satellites for its Starlink broadband network.

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 12:47 a.m. EST (9:47 p.m. local time) and reached preliminary orbit about nine minutes later. The Starlink payload, known as Group 17-30, deployed as scheduled roughly an hour after liftoff.

“Deployment of 25 Starlink satellites confirmed,” SpaceX said on social media.

The Falcon 9’s first stage, Booster 1093, completed its 13th flight and successfully landed on the Pacific Ocean drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.

These new satellites add to the roughly 9,500 units currently active in the Starlink constellation. The system provides internet access to underserved regions, supports airlines offering Wi-Fi, and enables emergency direct cell-to-satellite communication.

Thursday’s launch marked SpaceX’s ninth of 2026 and its 592nd overall since 2010.

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