SpaceX is targeting tonight to launch 24 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, continuing the company’s rapid deployment of its broadband constellation to low Earth orbit.
The launch window opens at 7 p.m. PT on July 10, with backup opportunities available through July 11. The mission, designated Starlink 17-48, will add another two dozen broadband internet satellites to the network, according to Spaceflight Now.
The Starlink constellation has grown to approximately 10,397 operational satellites in low Earth orbit as of June 2026, according to Wikipedia. The network uses low Earth orbit positioning to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming and online applications, as Starlink’s official technology page describes.
The Falcon 9 booster flying tonight marks its 35th flight, according to KTLA, demonstrating SpaceX’s reusability strategy. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, driving down the cost of space access, according to the company’s Falcon 9 vehicle page. Following stage separation, the first stage booster is expected to return to Earth for recovery on a droneship, continuing SpaceX’s record of successful landings and reuse.
The launch will be visible from parts of Southern California, with the setting sun potentially illuminating the rocket’s vapor trail at the evening hour, according to reporting from the Siskiyou Daily News. SpaceX will provide a live webcast beginning about ten minutes before liftoff.
Sources
- Spaceflight Now — confirmed the Starlink 17-48 mission targeting July 10, 2026 from Vandenberg SFB with 24 satellites to low Earth orbit
- KTLA — reported the 35th flight of the Falcon 9 first-stage booster and launch visibility from Southern California
- Siskiyou Daily News — provided launch window timing (7 p.m. PT) and visibility details about the rocket’s vapor trail
- Wikipedia — cited the Starlink constellation size of approximately 10,397 operational satellites as of June 2026
- Starlink.com — described Starlink as the world’s most advanced satellite constellation using low Earth orbit for broadband internet
- SpaceX.com — explained reusability benefits and Falcon 9 rocket recovery procedures
