SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch Starlink 15-18 from Vandenberg on Halloween eve

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:02 p.m. PDT on October 30, 2026. The launch window opens at 8:48 p.m. PDT and remains available until 12:48 a.m. PDT. The liftoff time corresponds to 12:02 a.m. EDT and 0402 UTC.

The Starlink 15-18 mission will carry 27 V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. The satellites are part of SpaceX‘s effort to expand its global broadband internet network, adding to the company’s existing constellation.

The Falcon 9 booster assigned to the mission, tail number B1093, is performing its 18th flight. The booster launched Transporter-16, two missions for the Space Development Agency, and 14 batches of Starlink satellites. B1093 is returning to the pad 41 days after its preceding flight, reflecting a rapid turnaround for the reusable first stage.

SpaceX intends to land B1093 on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff. If successful, the landing would mark the 231st time the vessel has received a booster and the 675th successful Falcon booster landing. After departing the launch site, the Falcon 9 will head southeast.

Spaceflight Now will begin live coverage of the mission about 30 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX’s live webcast starts about 10 minutes before liftoff and will be available on the company’s website, its Starlink Mission webpage, and its X account.

KSBY News reported that Guardians and Airmen from Space Launch Delta 30 will support the Starlink 15-18 mission at Space Launch Complex 4 East. AS USA noted that SpaceX warned residents in Ventura, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties might experience sonic booms during the launch, with the likelihood depending on atmospheric conditions and weather.

Spaceflight Now reported that SpaceX’s October 2026 orbital launches currently total 10: 3 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, 1 from Kennedy Space Center, and 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Starlink 15-18 mission is the 11th and final orbital flight for SpaceX in October, closing out a month of launches that far outpaces other providers.

Spaceflight Now reported that in August 2026, SpaceX ceased flying Starlink missions from Florida using Falcon 9 rockets. Since then, only a smattering of launches have flown from Florida, including NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13, CRS-35, and Bandwagon-5, which flew in October. The shift has concentrated Starlink deployments on the West Coast.

Spaceflight Now reported that the company’s 365-day orbital launch count fell below 150 for the first time since July 2025 after the Starlink 15-16 launch on October 27, 2026. The peak came in December 2025, when SpaceX achieved 171 orbital launches over 365 days.

Spaceflight Now reported that NASA and others have publicly acknowledged that SpaceX plans to end offering the Falcon 9 for commercial and government missions in the next few years. The company is expected to start launching orbital Starship missions on a regular basis beginning in 2027, shifting its primary focus away from the Falcon program.

Spaceflight Now reported that during a third quarter earnings call, Elon Musk stated, “The rate at which we launch Starship will increase dramatically as we solve rapid and complete reusability.” He said weekly Starship flights are expected sometime in the first half of next year, with the frequency increasing to twice-weekly or more by the end of 2027. SpaceX plans to attempt a catch of the Starship upper stage during the next flight of the more than 400-foot-tall rocket. Starship Flight 15 is anticipated to launch in mid-November from Starbase, Texas, and will feature the upper stage catch attempt.

Space Launch Live reported that the Falcon 9 Block 5 variant, developed to enhance rapid reusability, has flown 643 times with a 99.8 percent success rate. The launch is set for Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 4:02 a.m. UTC as a No Earlier Than time with GO status.