In the early hours of Thursday, August 14, 2025, SpaceX marked another milestone in its mission to provide global broadband internet by successfully launching 24 new Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The event, known as the Starlink Group 17-4 mission, further strengthens the company’s rapidly growing satellite constellation.
At precisely 1:05 a.m. EDT (0505 GMT / 10:05 p.m. PDT), a Falcon 9 rocket roared to life from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg, illuminating the California coastline. Just nine minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s first stage, designated Booster 1093, completed a smooth landing on the autonomous droneship Of Course I Still Love You stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This was the booster’s fifth flight, with all its previous missions also dedicated to Starlink deployments.
A Steady March Toward Global Connectivity
With this latest Vandenberg launch, SpaceX now has over 8,100 active Starlink satellites in orbit, out of nearly 9,400 launched since the constellation began deployment in 2018. This expansion is key to improving internet access in remote and underserved regions worldwide.
The satellites launched today are part of SpaceX’s ongoing effort to enhance both network speed and reliability. Once operational, these new units will join the existing network to reduce latency and expand coverage, especially across the Pacific and North America.
Record-Breaking Year for SpaceX
Thursday’s launch marks SpaceX’s 98th Falcon 9 mission of 2025—an impressive figure that underscores the company’s dominance in the commercial launch sector. Since the debut of the Falcon 9 in 2010, SpaceX has completed 516 flights, with this mission representing the 452nd reuse of a first stage and the 487th successful booster landing.
The pace of these launches is central to SpaceX’s business model, which relies on rapid reusability to reduce costs and maintain a high launch cadence. For the Vandenberg launch, Booster 1093’s flawless recovery demonstrates the continuing reliability of SpaceX’s hardware and operational efficiency.
The View from Above
Spectacular footage from an onboard camera during ascent captured the curvature of Earth beneath the Falcon 9’s second stage. This visual reminder of our planet’s fragility underscores the transformative potential of space technology—connecting people across continents and oceans through Starlink’s high-speed internet.
The upper stage, powered by a single Merlin vacuum engine, was on course to deploy all 24 satellites about an hour after liftoff. The precise orbital insertion ensures that the Starlink network can quickly integrate these new satellites into service.
Why Vandenberg Matters
While many SpaceX launches occur from Florida’s Cape Canaveral, the Vandenberg launch site plays a crucial role in missions that require polar or sun-synchronous orbits. These trajectories are ideal for global internet coverage, particularly over high-latitude regions. By launching from California, SpaceX can expand Starlink’s reach to customers in remote areas like Alaska, northern Canada, and maritime regions.
Looking Ahead
As SpaceX continues to scale its Starlink operations, competition in the satellite internet sector is intensifying. Amazon’s Project Kuiper and other global initiatives are racing to deploy their own constellations. However, with a clear lead in both technology and operational experience, SpaceX’s Vandenberg launches will remain a key component of its expansion strategy.
The company is expected to conduct multiple additional launches from Vandenberg before the year’s end, pushing the active Starlink count well beyond the 8,100 mark.
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