Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 80th Starlink mission of 2026

SpaceX decided to shift all Starlink missions flying on Falcon 9 rockets to the West Coast as it pushes towards the debut of its Starship-Super Heavy in Florida. Liftoff of the Starlink 15-24 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled 7:26 a.m. PDT (10:26 a.m. EDT / 1426 UTC).

The top 3

  1. Highest Annual Orbital Launches by a Single Entity: SpaceX set a new global record with 165 orbital launches in 2025, surpassing its previous record of 134 launches in 2024 and 96 in 2023.
  2. Top Three Most Active Spaceports Globally: The Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center complex in the US is the world's busiest launch corridor, followed by Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China and Vandenberg Space Force Base in the US, based on recent launch activity.
  3. Fastest Time to Deploy 5,000+ Satellites: SpaceX's Starlink constellation rapidly deployed over 5,000 satellites, reaching approximately 11,112 active satellites in orbit by August 2026, making it the largest constellation by a significant margin.

Sources

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