VANDENBERG, Calif. — SpaceX is keeping its record launch pace humming, preparing to send another 24 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base on the evening of June 24. The flight marks the company's 74th Falcon 9 launch of 2026 and its 59th dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation.
Liftoff is targeted for 11:19 p.m. EDT, with the Falcon 9's first stage set to return to Earth roughly 8.5 minutes later for a touchdown on a drone ship in the Pacific. The booster supporting the mission, B1081, will be flying for the 25th time, another reminder of how thoroughly SpaceX has normalized rapid reusability.
A Cadence No Rival Can Match
At 74 orbital launches less than halfway through the year, SpaceX is operating at a tempo unmatched in the history of spaceflight. The relentless schedule is what makes the Starlink buildout possible, adding broadband capacity week after week, and it complements the company's newest in-space ventures like the reusable capsule profiled in our report on the Starfall demonstration mission.
Each flight also reinforces the economics that underpin SpaceX's broader ambitions. Reusing boosters dozens of times slashes the cost per kilogram to orbit, freeing capital for Starship, Starlink expansion, and the company's growing AI infrastructure plans.
