A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
The Starlink 15-16 mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 00:25 Pacific time (07:25 UTC). About an hour into the flight, after a short circularisation burn, the second stage released the 27 satellites.
The mission’s first-stage booster, B1082, cut its engines about two and a half minutes into flight and landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean at about eight minutes and 23 seconds after liftoff. It was the booster’s 26th flight overall and its 21st Starlink mission, having previously flown USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, NROL-145 and Transporter-18 among its earlier missions.
SpaceX’s rapid reuse of boosters like B1082 is central to its Starlink deployment pace, with the same hardware returning to flight again and again rather than being discarded after a single launch.
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Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.