A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sunday, June 21, 2026. The mission marks another addition to the company's growing broadband constellation, which now numbers thousands of spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
The Falcon 9's first stage, which had flown on several previous missions, successfully landed on the droneship 'Of Course I Still Love You' stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The payload fairing, protecting the satellites during ascent, was recovered from the water.
Liftoff occurred during a launch window on Sunday evening, Pacific Time. The mission, designated Starlink 17-28, used the same booster that had supported earlier Starlink and customer missions.
Each Starlink satellite is equipped with phased-array antennas and ion thrusters. The system aims to provide global broadband coverage, particularly for remote and underserved regions.
SpaceX continues to launch Starlink missions at a high rate, balancing internal constellation expansion with external customer launches. The company has faced competition from other satellite operators and regulatory scrutiny over orbital debris and light pollution, but maintains that the network serves a growing demand for connectivity.