SpaceX added another 24 satellites to its Starlink constellation this morning, with Falcon 9 booster B1088 lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:09 a.m. PDT on June 28, 2026. The first stage returned to Earth and touched down on the autonomous droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean, completing the mission's 17th successful flight for that booster.
Booster B1088 has now flown missions including NROL-126, Transporter-12, SPHEREx, NROL-57, and 12 prior Starlink runs — making it one of the more well-traveled boosters in the fleet. The Starlink Group 17-40 payload brings the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to over 10,700, with approximately 10,689 actively operational according to tracking data.
Residents across Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties were advised ahead of the launch to expect possible sonic booms from the returning booster — a now-routine side effect of SpaceX's rapid reuse cadence. With the constellation pushing past 10,700 satellites, coverage density and redundancy continue to improve for Starlink subscribers worldwide. For our broader SpaceX coverage, see our SpaceX coverage.
Sarah focuses on Tesla Energy, SpaceX missions, and the broader Musk AI portfolio. Former data analyst in clean energy. Based in San Francisco.
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