SpaceX sends 28 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit in pre-dawn launch – Spaceflight Now

Updated October 16 at 6:50 a.m. EDT (10:50 UTC): SpaceX confirms the deployment of all 28 Starlink satellites.

Updated October 15, 3:07 p.m. EDT (1907 UTC): SpaceX has pushed back the T-0 liftoff time.

A nighttime launch from the Cape Canaveral space station allowed SpaceX to continue strengthening its constellation of Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit.

Thursday morning’s flight added 28 more V2 Mini satellites to the network of 8,600 currently in orbit, according to astronomer and orbital tracking expert Jonathan McDowell. Of more than 125 Falcon 9 launches in 2025, 91 flew in support of SpaceX’s constellation before Thursday.

The company launched the Starlink 10-52 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:27 a.m. EDT (09:27 UTC). After a launch for the Space Development Agency (SDA) in California late Wednesday afternoon, this was SpaceX’s 130th Falcon 9 launch of the year.



The 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting a fairly favorable outlook for SpaceX’s pre-dawn Thursday launch window. Meteorologists predict a 95 percent chance of good weather conditions, with very little chance of interference from cumulus clouds.

Weather conditions in the planned landing zone for the Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number B1095, were listed as “moderate” risk on a scale of low to moderate to high. Similar outlooks were given during launch predictions for the Kuiper Falcon 03 mission, which saw a successful launch and landing campaign.

This was the B1095’s third flight after being used by SpaceX to launch two Starlink missions earlier this year. The company used its drone, “Just Read the Instructions,” to recover the booster nearly 8.5 minutes after takeoff.

This was the 138th landing on this ship and the 519th booster landing to date.