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Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California
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- DeepHorus
SpaceX celebrated Halloween with an early-morning launch from California, sending 27 Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Oct. 31 at 12:04 a.m. EDT (0404 GMT; 9:04 p.m. Oct. 30 local time). The mission marked another step in the company’s rapid expansion of its satellite megaconstellation.
The Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth as planned, landing about 8.5 minutes after launch on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 18th flight for booster B1093. The record for a SpaceX first stage remains 37 flights, set in August by booster B1067.
The rocket’s upper stage deployed the 27 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit about 62 minutes after liftoff. These spacecraft join more than 11,000 active satellites in the Starlink megaconstellation, which is by far the largest satellite network ever assembled. The network aims to provide global broadband internet coverage.
Today’s launch was the 118th Falcon 9 flight of 2026 so far. More than 70% of these missions have been devoted to building out the Starlink network. This launch cadence reflects SpaceX’s aggressive deployment strategy.
SpaceX has also launched its Falcon Heavy and Starship rockets three times apiece this year. Falcon Heavy is operational, while Starship remains in the test-flight phase. The company is currently gearing up for another Starship launch, expected sometime in November.
The steady cadence of Starlink launches highlights SpaceX’s dominance in commercial spaceflight and its push to expand internet connectivity. The Halloween mission underscores the company’s reliance on Falcon 9 for Starlink expansion. That upcoming Starship test flight will continue development of the fully reusable rocket system.
