SpaceX launches 21 Starlink + 2 Starshield satellites from Vandenberg on June 6
Summary: At 9:24 p.m. PDT on June 6, 2026 (04:24 UTC on June 7), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 21 Starlink satellites and 2 Starshield satellites into low Earth orbit. First-stage booster B1097 completed its 10th flight and landed successfully on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship in the Pacific Ocean.
Mission details
The mission, designated Starlink 17-43, was a routine Starlink deployment from Vandenberg in 2026. As with some previous Starlink launches, this flight also carried 2 Starshield satellites. Starshield is a government-services variant of the Starlink platform developed by SpaceX for national-security missions. According to Spaceflight Now, the two Starshield satellites are believed to be part of the National Reconnaissance Office's "multi-phenomenology proliferated architecture" constellation, following the same piggyback-into-public-Starlink-batch pattern seen in the 2025 Starlink 13-1 and 13-4 missions.
Recovery milestone
This landing marked the 201st successful catch for the OCISLY droneship and the 620th Falcon 9 first-stage recovery overall. B1097 had previously flown nine times, and this was its 10th mission. SpaceX continues to demonstrate the Falcon 9 booster's progression toward a goal of up to 40 reuses per vehicle.