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Starlink 15-⁠16

Falcon 9Vandenberg, California

T minus 3 days 3 hours 48 minutes
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Webcast starts Sat 24 Oct ·

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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 will launch Starlink 15-⁠16 from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-⁠4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Following stage separation, the first stage will 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 26th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-⁠126, Transporter-⁠12, SPHEREx, NROL-⁠57, USSF-⁠366, Transporter-⁠18, and 14 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.

Liftoff
Fri 22:29 PDT at the pad
Window
– 4 h
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5SpaceX
Destination
Low Earth Orbit
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg, California67th launch from this pad in 20263 days after the last
Sonic boom
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.
Latest update
Added launch.

1h1min

Mission duration

26th

Flight of B1082

574km

Downrange landing, OCISLY

123rd

SpaceX launch of 2026

Countdown

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 minus 0 secondsFalcon 9 liftoff

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+00:02:30
  6. FairingT+00:02:56
  7. LandingT+00:08:23
  8. SECOT+00:08:39
  9. Starlink deployT+01:01:53
  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Stage separationT+00:02:30
  5. LandingT+00:08:23
  6. Starlink deployT+01:01:53
  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Max QT+00:01:08
  5. Stage separationT+00:02:30
  6. FairingT+00:02:56
  7. LandingT+00:08:23
  8. Starlink deployT+01:01:53
Schematic, not to scale. Tap a moment for more.Point at a moment for more.SpaceX’s graphic
Planschematic

1 h 1 min from liftoffin your time zone (CEST)

  1. T plus 1 minute 8 secondsMax Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
  2. T plus 2 minutes 26 seconds1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
  3. T plus 2 minutes 30 seconds1st and 2nd stages separate
  4. T plus 2 minutes 36 seconds2nd stage engine starts (SES-⁠1)
  5. T plus 2 minutes 56 secondsFairing separation, 2nd stage
  6. T plus 6 minutes 4 seconds1st stage entry burn begins
  7. T plus 6 minutes 26 seconds1st stage entry burn ends
  8. T plus 8 minutes 1 second1st stage landing burn begins
  9. T plus 8 minutes 23 seconds1st stage landing
  10. T plus 8 minutes 39 seconds2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-⁠1)
  11. T plus 53 minutes 1 second2nd stage engine starts (SES-⁠2)
  12. T plus 53 minutes 3 seconds2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-⁠2)
  13. T plus 1 hour 1 minuteStarlink satellites deploy, Payload

Falcon 9 Block 5

SpaceXReusable640 launches since May 2018, 639 successful

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  • BoosterB1082most recently launched Transporter-⁠18
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 sunlight428km27,567km/h
TiangongDocked: Shenzhou-⁠23In sunlight385km27,654km/h
HubbleIn Earth’s shadow467km27,500km/h

Estimated for from CelesTrak’s orbital elements, up to 32 h old.

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