SpaceX launched a classified mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Saturday morning, marking the fourth such launch from the same pad in approximately six weeks. The USSF-385 mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E at 7:00 a.m. PT, carrying an unidentified payload believed by independent trackers to be part of the Starshield constellation.
What Happened
The Falcon 9 booster designated B1100 successfully landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You approximately eight and a half minutes after liftoff. This was the booster’s tenth flight and tenth successful landing, following a prior mission for the NROL-95 national security mission and eight Starlink launches. SpaceX concluded its livestream shortly after the landing, consistent with standard protocol for classified payloads, and neither SpaceX nor the Space Force disclosed what the rocket carried.
The launch cadence from Vandenberg has intensified recently. USSF-385 follows USSF-366 on August 15, USSF-153 on September 10, and USSF-259 on September 17. When SpaceX flew USSF-366 in August, independent trackers noted that the rocket’s stage drop zones matched those of Starlink Group 15 missions, suggesting the payload was Starshield, the government version of the Starlink satellite bus. The Space Force cataloged 23 satellites following both USSF-366 and USSF-153, while USSF-259 placed 17 satellites into a different orbital plane, according to KeepTrack. Launch databases describe USSF-385 similarly, though the payload remains officially unidentified.
Why It Matters
The frequent launches align with recent contract awards. In July, the Space Force awarded SpaceX $1.6 billion in task orders for 18 Falcon 9 missions from Vandenberg through the end of 2027. SpaceX also holds contracts to build components of the network, pushing its total Pentagon contract value for 2026 past $8 billion. The increased activity from the West Coast contrasts with SpaceX’s operations in Florida, where the company is shifting infrastructure toward Starship development.
Saturday’s flight was the sixth and final Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg in September, according to Spaceflight Now, while only one Falcon 9 flew from the East Coast this month. Launch trackers list the mission as SpaceX’s 112th mission of 2026 and the 108th Falcon 9 flight of the year. The pad was turned around about six and a half days after its previous launch. Another Starlink mission is scheduled from SLC-4E on September 30, while in Texas, SpaceX is preparing for Starship Flight 14, which targets a Monday launch at 7:15 a.m. CT for the vehicle’s first attempt to reach orbit.
The Bottom Line
SpaceX continues to execute a high-cadence launch schedule for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg, supporting the suspected expansion of the Starshield constellation. With payload details remaining classified, independent tracking of stage drop zones and satellite catalogs provides the primary insight into the mission’s nature, highlighting the company's growing role in national security space infrastructure.