SpaceX Launches 116th Falcon 9 of 2026 From Vandenberg

SpaceX lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 23 to deploy its latest batch of internet satellites. The 116th Falcon 9 launch of the year carried 27 Starlink spacecraft, a payload that helps maintain a network now exceeding 11,000 active units in low Earth orbit. For subscribers, the launch represents a routine replenishment of the constellation that provides broadband service in rural and underserved areas.

The rocket, designated B1063, separated from its upper stage approximately 2.5 minutes after ignition. The booster later landed on the droneship 'Of Course I Still Love You' roughly eight minutes into the flight. This marked the 36th flight and landing for this specific booster, which previously launched NASA's DART mission in November 2021. The upper stage is scheduled to perform a final burn before releasing the satellites 62 minutes after liftoff.

The launch marks a clear deceleration in SpaceX's operational tempo. At its peak, Falcon 9 missions to Starlink launched every two to three days. The most recent Starlink mission before Oct. 23 occurred 11 days earlier, and that specific flight was the first in over three weeks. This gap is part of a wider pattern where the company is shifting resources away from the Falcon 9 toward its larger, fully reusable Starship rocket.

Starship is designed to carry Version 3 Starlink satellites, which are too large for the Falcon 9 payload fairing. SpaceX has stated that once Starship enters operational service, it plans to phase out both the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy variants. The 100th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, which flew from Cape Canaveral, was identified as the final Starlink mission from Florida's Space Coast, suggesting a similar end is near for West Coast Starlink launches.

In 2025, the Falcon 9 completed 165 launches, its busiest year on record. In 2026, the company has completed 116 flights, with approximately three-quarters dedicated to Starlink. At the current pace, the rocket is expected to finish the year with just under 150 total missions, cementing 2025 as the peak year for the vehicle's activity level.

The next scheduled mission will determine if the launch cadence continues to slow as SpaceX transitions its primary launch burden to Starship.