SpaceX Completes 50th West Coast Starlink Launch in 2026

On August 8, 2026, SpaceX executed its 50th West Coast launch of the year as part of its ongoing Starlink mission. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:35 a.m. PDT, carrying 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. This mission marked the 71st operational Starlink delivery of the year and utilized booster B1093, which had previously flown 15 missions since joining the fleet in April 2025. The first stage landed on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ approximately eight minutes after liftoff. The launch followed a trend of increased West Coast activity as SpaceX ramps up Starlink deployments while reducing East Coast launches to focus on Starship development. This mission also included a rideshare payload, highlighting SpaceX’s growing role in satellite deployment. The success underscores the company’s commitment to expanding global broadband access through its constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites.