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SpaceX launches 26 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (video)

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It was SpaceX's 59th Falcon 9 launch of the year already.

SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from California today (May 16).

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 26 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, on the Golden State's foggy central coast, today at 9:43 a.m. EDT (1343 GMT; 6:43 a.m. local California time).

A little over eight minutes later, the Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth as planned, touching down on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

view from the top of a rocket in space, looking down at its flame-belching engines and earth in the background

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries 26 Starlink satellites to orbit from California on May 16, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)

It was the second liftoff and landing for this particular booster, according to SpaceX. The stage's other mission was also a Starlink flight.

The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the 26 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO), where they were deployed on schedule 62.5 minutes after liftoff.

a rocket rests on the deck of a ship at sea, with brownish haze from its engine exhaust partially obscuring the shot

The Falcon 9's first stage on the deck of the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." (Image credit: SpaceX)
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— SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company

— Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy

— Starlink satellite train: how to see and track it in the night sky

Today's launch was the 59th Falcon 9 flight of 2025. Forty-two of those missions have been dedicated to assembling the Starlink network, the largest satellite constellation ever constructed.

There are nearly 7,500 operational Starlink craft in LEO at the moment, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, and the number is growing all the time.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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