SpaceX - Falcon 9 - Starlink 17-29 - SLC-4E - Vandenberg SFB - May 6, 2026

Launch Date: May 5, 2026 (PDT) Launch Time: 8:59 p.m. PDT (May 6, 0359 UTC, 05:59 CEST) Launch Window: Open until 11:00 p.m. PDT Launch Site: SLC-4E - Vandenberg Space Force Base, California Targeted Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Launch Inclination: South Launch Status: Nominal orbit insertion, booster landed successfully th 24th time on a droneship. Mission: Starlink Group 17-29 Launch Provider: SpaceX Launcher System: Falcon 9 (Booster 1081 - Turnaround time 40 days) Flight for the Booster: 24 Previous Flights of the Booster: 23 - Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE, NROL-186, Transporter-13, TRACERS, NROL-48, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM3, and 13 Starlink missions. Droneship: Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) Price: $74 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) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This will be the 24th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE, NROL-186, Transporter-13, TRACERS, NROL-48, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM3, and 13 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