Vandenberg Space Force Base, California – SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket Friday morning, sending 25 Starlink broadband internet satellites into low Earth orbit.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East occurred at 6:57:59 a.m. PDT. The mission, named Starlink 17-31, marked SpaceX’s 25th launch supporting its low Earth orbit constellation in 2026.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number B1071, completed its 32nd flight. Less than 8.5 minutes after launch, the booster landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean, marking the 183rd landing on this vessel and the 584th overall for SpaceX.

Satellite deployment took place a little over an hour after liftoff, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites flown in 2026 to 674. Previous missions for this booster included NASA’s SWOT, five National Reconnaissance Office missions, and five SmallSat rideshare launches.

The launch continues SpaceX’s rapid expansion of its low Earth orbit megaconstellation, aiming to provide global broadband connectivity while demonstrating the company’s growing reusability capabilities.

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