SpaceX wraps Starlink double header day with the launch of 24 Starlink satellites from California
SpaceX launched 24 more of its Starlink global internet satellite constellation to orbit from California on Aug. 11, wrapping the second Starlink launch of the day.
Just over 12 hours after launching from California, SpaceX completed a second Starlink satellite deployment from its new launch site. The Falcon 9 rocket ascended from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:46 p.m. EDT (0346 GMT; 9:46 p.m. local time) on August 12, 2026. This mission, Starlink Group 17-49, carried 24 broadband satellites into low Earth orbit to bolster SpaceX's extensive constellation of over 10,000 satellites.
Eight and a half minutes after liftoff, the rocket's first stage, Booster 1103, landed safely on SpaceX's droneship in the Pacific Ocean – marking its fifth successful return flight. The same booster also supported U.S. national defense satellites NROL-179 and SDA-T1TL-E. The second stage then continued to LEO with the deployed satellites, arriving roughly an hour after liftoff.
This marks SpaceX's 94th Falcon 9 launch this year, with 73 of those missions delivering Starlink satellites to the rapidly expanding constellation, which now includes more than 10,900 active satellites. Elon Musk, SpaceX's CEO, has ambitious plans for even larger satellite constellations, including a proposed 100,000 Starlink V3 satellites and a million AI data center satellites.
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