SpaceX deployed another 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites Friday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base, expanding the company's low Earth orbit constellation to more than 10,700 spacecraft.
What Happened
The Starlink 17-48 mission launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket carrying booster B1071, which was making its 35th flight. The vehicle lifted off at 8:01 p.m. PDT (11:01 p.m. EDT / 0301 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East and flew on a south-southwesterly trajectory. More than eight minutes after liftoff, B1071 landed on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' stationed in the Pacific Ocean. Deployment of the 24 satellites was confirmed by SpaceX at 12:21 a.m. EDT (0421 UTC) on July 11.
Why It Matters
The mission marked another demonstration of Falcon 9's reusability, with B1071 now having completed 35 flights after previously launching NASA's SWOT satellite, five National Reconnaissance Office missions, and five SmallSat Rideshare Program payloads. The successful landing was the 209th on 'Of Course I Still Love You' and the 636th total booster recovery for SpaceX, underscoring the company's high launch cadence and reuse strategy that underpins its Starlink expansion.
The Bottom Line
SpaceX confirmed deployment of the 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites from Vandenberg, pushing the active constellation past 10,700 spacecraft. B1071 completed its 35th flight with a successful drone ship landing.