Updated
Updated · Space.com · Aug 4
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites on 90th Falcon 9 Flight of 2026
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Aug 4

SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites on 90th Falcon 9 Flight of 2026

3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Aug 4

Summary

  • A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 1705 GMT carrying 24 Starlink satellites, marking SpaceX's 90th Falcon 9 mission and 70th Starlink launch of 2026.
  • Booster B1063 returned to the droneship Of Course I Still Love You about 8.5 minutes after launch, completing its 34th flight and moving within two missions of the Falcon 9 reuse record.
  • The 24 spacecraft were set for deployment into low Earth orbit about 61 minutes after liftoff, adding to a Starlink network that now numbers nearly 10,900 satellites.
  • The launch extends SpaceX's record-setting cadence just hours before the company hosts its first public quarterly earnings webcast, following its mid-June IPO.

Insights

With over 10,800 Starlink satellites already orbiting, what hidden limits might suddenly halt SpaceX's massive broadband expansion?
As Vandenberg reactivates a historic Space Launch Squadron, what strategic military roles could these rapid commercial launches actually serve?
Can autonomous systems truly prevent disaster as SpaceX crowds low Earth orbit with thousands of new satellites?