The Starlink 17-52 mission lifts off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Image: SpaceX.

SpaceX launched its next batch of Starlink satellites from California on Friday night, four days later than original planned.

Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 8:08 p.m. PDT (11:08 p.m. EDT / 0308 UTC).

As is usual, SpaceX did not disclose why the Falcon 9 launch was repeatedly delayed from its original launch date of Monday, July 27.

The Starlink 17-52 mission will add another 24 broadband internet satellites to the low Earth orbit constellation. The stack of V2 mini satellites deployed from the upper stage about an hour after launch. SpaceX currently has more than 10,800 Starlink satellites in orbit.

The flight used the Falcon 9 first stage B1081. This will be the booster’s 26th flight after launching 15 batches of Starlink satellites as well as multiple missions for NASA and other customers:

• Aug. 26, 2023 – NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7
• Nov. 10, 2023 – SpaceX CRS-29
• Feb. 8, 2024 – NASA’s PACE
• Mar. 4, 2024 – Transporter-10
• May 28, 2024 – ESA’s EarthCARE
• June 29, 2024 – NROL-186
• Mar. 15, 2025 – Transporter-13
• July 23, 2025 – NASA’s TRACERS
• Sep. 22, 2025 – NROL-48
• Jan. 3, 2026 – COSMO-SkyMED Second Generation FM3

A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, positioned in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 214th landing on this vessel and the 643rd orbital booster landing to date for SpaceX.

This mission is the 90 Falcon rocket to launch in 2026, including one Falcon Heavy, and the 69th batch of Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites launched to orbit this year.