SpaceX successfully deployed 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit following a Friday afternoon launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. This mission contributes to the ongoing expansion of the Starlink constellation, marking the 30th such deployment by SpaceX this year.
The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 2:51:49 p.m. PDT (5:51:49 p.m. EDT / 2151:49 UTC). The rocket followed a southerly trajectory as it ascended, carrying the Starlink 17-15 mission payload.
The first-stage booster, identified by the tail number B1100, completed its fourth flight. Its previous launches included the NROL-105 mission and two earlier batches of Starlink satellites. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, booster B1100 executed a precise landing on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’, which was positioned in the Pacific Ocean. This landing represented the 185th successful recovery for this particular vessel and marked SpaceX’s 589th booster landing to date.
