SpaceX launched its 50th Falcon 9 rocket of 2023 on Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base, deploying 25 Starlink V2 Mini broadband satellites into orbit. The mission, designated Starlink 17-16, lifted off at 7:37 a.m. PDT (10:37 a.m. EDT) from Space Launch Complex 4 East under cloudy conditions. The rocket followed a southerly trajectory after liftoff, marking another step in SpaceX’s effort to expand its global broadband network.
The Falcon 9’s first stage, booster B1088, made its 15th flight on this mission. Previously used for launches including NROL-126, Transporter-12, and multiple Starlink missions, the booster landed autonomously on the SpaceX drone ship Of Course I Still Love You about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. This was the 193rd landing on the vessel and the 603rd overall booster landing in SpaceX’s history.
The second stage deployed the 25 satellites approximately 62 minutes after liftoff, according to SpaceX. The mission continues the company’s rapid pace of Starlink deployments, with over 4,000 satellites now in orbit. Vandenberg has hosted 14 Falcon 9 launches this year, with SpaceX using the west coast site to avoid overflying populated areas during reentry.
This launch comes as SpaceX prepares for a potential return to Kennedy Space Center later this year. The company’s Florida-based operations have been limited since the Crew Demo-2 mission in May 2020, but officials have said they plan to resume launches from Cape Canaveral as soon as infrastructure upgrades are complete.