SpaceX Falcon 9 Rakete startet von Kalifornien mit 27 Starlink-Satelliten
Video from the channel Spaceflight Now about Falcon 9, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 47:48. Language: English. Video type: Livestream.
What is being broadcast
This is the Spaceflight Now live broadcast, with commentary, of the launch of a Falcon 9 on the Starlink 15-27 mission. Liftoff took place on Saturday, September 19, from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The rocket carried 27 optimized Starlink V2 Mini satellites bound for low Earth orbit. According to the broadcast, each satellite weighs about 575 kg, measures about 30 m in span with solar panels deployed, and uses argon Hall-effect thrusters. Deployment was planned at an altitude of about 265 km and an inclination of about 70°. The first stage was booster B1093 on its 17th flight. It debuted on April 7, 2025, with a Starlink mission, later flew for the U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency, and in March 2026 launched the shared Transporter-16 mission.
Key moments
Before liftoff, the commentator reviews propellant loading (RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen) and the chilldown of the nine Merlin engines. He also explains the retraction of the service arm by about 13° and the switch to the automated sequence in the final minute, with the rocket loaded with around one million pounds of propellant. After liftoff come max-Q, first-stage shutdown, stage separation, ignition of the vacuum Merlin engine, and fairing separation. The first stage performs the entry and landing burns. As context, the broadcast mentions the upcoming Starship flight 14, planned no earlier than September 28 pending FAA approval and carrying Starlink V3 satellites, and booster B1067, the fleet's most flown, with 37 flights.
Outcome
B1093 landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You, the 225th landing on that ship. The second stage reached a nominal orbit. The broadcast states it would coast until T+53 min, perform a brief burn to circularize the orbit, and release the satellites at T+1 h 2 min 4 s. It was the 689th launch of a Falcon 9 and the 107th of the year, according to the broadcast's own figures.