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Starlink 15-⁠15

Falcon 9Vandenberg, California

T plus 1 hour 2 minutes
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Mission

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Falcon 9 launched Starlink 15-⁠15 from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-⁠4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. After stage separation, the first stage was set to land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, about 574 km downrange.

Mission briefing from SpaceX

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 27 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-⁠4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about 10 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.

This will be the 36th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Sentinel-⁠6 Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-⁠7, Iridium OneWeb, SDA-⁠0B, NROL-⁠113, NROL-⁠167, NROL-⁠149, NAOS, and 26 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.

Launched
Tue 16:10:02 PDT at the pad
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5SpaceX
Destination
Low Earth Orbit
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg, California66th launch from this pad in 20264 days after the last
Latest update
Now targeting Oct 20 at 23:10 UTC

1h2min

Mission duration

36th

Flight of B1063

574km

Downrange landing, OCISLY

122nd

SpaceX launch of 2026

Flight

From liftoff to orbit

  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Max QT+00:01:08
  5. Stage separationT+00:02:29
  6. FairingT+00:02:58
  7. LandingT+00:08:23
  8. SECOT+00:08:39
  9. Starlink deployT+01:02:04
  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Stage separationT+00:02:29
  5. LandingT+00:08:23
  6. Starlink deployT+01:02:04
  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Max QT+00:01:08
  5. Stage separationT+00:02:29
  6. FairingT+00:02:58
  7. LandingT+00:08:23
  8. Starlink deployT+01:02:04
Schematic, not to scale. Tap a moment for more.Point at a moment for more.SpaceX’s graphic

All times approximate, in your time zone (CEST)Timeline: SpaceX

  1. T minus 38 minutesSpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
  2. T minus 35 minutesRP-⁠1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
  3. T minus 35 minutes1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
  4. T minus 16 minutes2nd stage LOX loading begins
  5. T minus 7 minutesFalcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
  6. T minus 1 minuteCommand flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
  7. T minus 1 minutePropellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
  8. T minus 45 secondsSpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
  9. T minus 3 secondsEngine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
  10. T plus 0 secondsFalcon 9 liftoff
  11. T plus 1 minute 8 secondsMax Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
  12. T plus 2 minutes 26 seconds1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
  13. T plus 2 minutes 29 seconds1st and 2nd stages separate
  14. T plus 2 minutes 36 seconds2nd stage engine starts (SES-⁠1)
  15. T plus 2 minutes 58 secondsFairing separation, 2nd stage
  16. T plus 6 minutes 1 second1st stage entry burn begins
  17. T plus 6 minutes 24 seconds1st stage entry burn ends
  18. T plus 8 minutes 1 second1st stage landing burn begins
  19. T plus 8 minutes 23 seconds1st stage landing
  20. T plus 8 minutes 39 seconds2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-⁠1)
  21. T plus 53 minutes 13 seconds2nd stage engine starts (SES-⁠2)
  22. T plus 53 minutes 14 seconds2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-⁠2)
  23. T plus 1 hour 2 minutesStarlink satellites deploy, Payload

Falcon 9 Block 5

SpaceXReusable640 launches since May 2018, 639 successful

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  • BoosterB1063most recently launched Starlink 15-⁠23
About Falcon 9 Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

70m

Height

3.7m

Diameter

549t

Mass at liftoff

7.6MN

Thrust at liftoff

23t

Payload to low Earth orbit

8.3t

Payload to geostationary transfer orbit

Orbit estimated from CelesTrak’s elementsMeasured trackSpaceX’s predicted path

In orbit now

The crewed stations and Hubble, once around the Earth every 92 to 94 minutes

SpacecraftAltitudeSpeed
ISSDocked: Soyuz MS-⁠29, Crew-⁠13In Earth’s shadow429km27,562km/h
TiangongDocked: Shenzhou-⁠23In sunlight386km27,650km/h
HubbleIn sunlight476km27,462km/h

Estimated for from CelesTrak’s orbital elements, up to 33 h old.

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