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UPDATE: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 early Saturday from Vandenberg Space Force Base

By Kathrene Herndon Feb 20, 2026 | 7:05 AM

UPDATE (6:12 a.m.) – The launch lifted off shortly after 1 a.m. and successfully deployed 25 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

UPDATE (2:25 p.m.) – The launch window is between midnight and 4 a.m. Saturday. The launch is currently set for liftoff at around 1 a.m., according to SpaceX.

ORIGINAL STORY: A Falcon 9 rocket is expected to liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base late Friday night.

The launch of 25 Starlink satellites is set for just before midnight from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E).

Its the 31

st

time the first-stage booster has been used. The booster is expected to land on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean following stage separation.

No sonic boom is expected to be heard locally.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes before liftoff and can be viewed on X @SpaceX or the X TV app.