SpaceX added 27 more Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to its low-Earth-orbit constellation on September 19, 2026, launching a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 6:47 p.m. PDT. The Starlink 15-27 mission became the 81st Starlink flight of 2026 and pushed SpaceX's tally of Falcon booster landings past 660.
Booster B1093 flies its 17th mission
The launch used first-stage booster B1093, on its 17th flight. Previous missions included two Space Development Agency payloads and 13 Starlink batches. Roughly eight and a half minutes after liftoff, B1093 touched down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific, marking OCISLY's 225th recovery and Falcon's 662nd booster landing overall.
Payload deployment
SpaceX confirmed satellite deployment approximately one hour after liftoff. The V2 Mini Optimized variant carries more capacity than earlier V2 Minis while remaining light enough for Falcon 9 to fly full stacks from Vandenberg — a workhorse rhythm that has kept the West-Coast pad busy alongside continued flights out of Florida.
Cadence check
September 19 also saw Rocket Lab notch its 96th Electron flight, underscoring how routine Western launch cadence has become. SpaceX still leads by a wide margin, and Sunday's mission continues progress toward the constellation's next capacity milestone, which the company expects to hit before year-end.
Reporting based on coverage from Spaceflight Now and KeepTrack.