Update July 16, 1 a.m.: SpaceX confirmed deployment of the satellites.
SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base about an hour before sunset on Tuesday.
The Starlink 15-2 saw 26 satellites launch into low Earth orbit onboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 7:05 p.m. PDT (10:05 p.m. EDT, 0205 UTC).
SpaceX used the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number B1093 to launch this mission. It launched for a fourth time after flying three previous batches of Starlink satellites.
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1093 landed on the droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ which marked the 140th touchdown for this vessel and the 475th booster landing to date.
Starlink 15-2 was the 30th orbital flight from California so far this year, tying the total number of orbital launches conducted in the entirety of 2023. So far this year, all but one of these launches were conducted by SpaceX using its Falcon 9 rocket.
Firefly Aerospace launched once with its Alpha rocket back on April 29, 2025, but an anomaly during stage separation created an issue with the second stage Lightning engine nozzle that prevented the deployment of Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 Technology Demonstration.
A company-led mishap investigation is still ongoing and the Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t cleared Firefly Aerospace to resume launches.
United Launch Alliance is preparing to resume West Coast launches later this year with its Vulcan rocket. The company has been overhauling Space Launch Complex 3, which recently received a new swing arm on the umbilical tower, which will be used to vent hydrogen from the Centaur upper stage.
ULA hasn’t announced a launch date for the first Vulcan flight from Vandenberg.
#ICYMI @SantaBarbaraCounty department heads had an opportunity to visit Vandenberg Space Force Base for an offsite experience. During the visit, the group toured Space Launch Complex-3, where @Ulalaunch is hard at work preparing the launch pad for their Vulcan launch vehicle. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/EO2v3biod3
— Vandenberg Space Force Base (@SLDelta30) July 11, 2025