GO! - SpaceX - Falcon 9 - Starlink 17-31 - SLC-4E - Vandenberg SFB - Space Affairs Live

Launch Date: March 8, 2026 Launch Time: 3:58 a.m. PDT, 1058 UTC, 11:58 CET Launch Window: Open 7:58 a.m. PST Launch Site: SLC-4E - Vandenberg Space Force Base, California Targeted Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Launch Inclination: South Launch Status: Scheduled and announced Mission: Starlink Group 17-31 Launch Provider: SpaceX Launcher System: Falcon 9 (Booster 1071 - Turnaround time 34 days) Flight for the Booster: 32 Previous Flights of the Booster: 31 - NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, Transporter-14, Transporter-15, and 19 Starlink missions Droneship: Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) Price: $69,75 million (without payload) Diameter: 3,7 m Height: 70 meters Payload to Orbit: 22,800 LEO / 8,300 GTO Lift-Off Thrust: 7,607 kilonewtons Fairing: Diameter 5,2 meters / Height 13 meters Stages: 2 SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 25 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This will be the 32nd flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, Transporter-14, Transporter-15, and 19 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean. Residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what they experience will depend on weather and other conditions. You will find more information about the trajectory and data on the day of the launch here: https://flightclub.io/live Countdown Hr/Min/Sec Event 00:38:00 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load 00:35:00 RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins 00:35:00 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins 00:16:00 2nd stage LOX loading begins 00:07:00 Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch 00:01:00 Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks 00:01:00 Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins 00:00:45 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch 00:00:03 Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start 00:00:00 Falcon 9 liftoff