SpaceX launches 26 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from California

SpaceX launched 26 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 15. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:05 p.m. PDT and successfully deployed the satellites, after which its first stage landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean. The mission increased the total number of active Starlink satellites to over 7,950, as SpaceX expands its internet megaconstellation toward FCC‑approved limits of 12,000 satellites and plans for up to 30,000 more.