SpaceX Launch Today Sends 29 Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral as Vandenberg Rocket Launch Tonight Follows
SpaceX completed a rocket launch today — Sunday, March 1, 2026 — lifting 29 Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Liftoff occurred at 7:07 p.m. ET, the 27th Falcon 9 mission of the year and the third SpaceX launch in a five-day stretch that began February 27.
A second rocket launch tonight is set to follow from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with a window opening at 4:00 p.m. ET — carrying another 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. Booster B1097, flying for its seventh time, will target recovery aboard the drone ship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX Starlink Reaches 11,339 Satellites After Sunday's Mission
Sunday's East Coast flight pushed the total number of Starlink satellites launched since the program began to 11,339 units. The Falcon 9 booster assigned to the Cape Canaveral mission targeted a landing aboard the drone ship positioned in the Atlantic, continuing the reusability cadence that has defined SpaceX operations through early 2026.
SpaceX launched its 500th Starlink satellite of 2026 during a February 25 flight — a pace that translates to roughly eight Starlink missions per month. The Falcon 9 family has now completed 619 total flights since 2010, with 616 full mission successes recorded as of March 1, 2026.
Each V2 Mini Optimized satellite weighs approximately 800 kilograms and carries a direct-to-cell capability that SpaceX has been activating progressively since late 2025, allowing compatible smartphones to send texts without a ground tower within range.
Starship Flight 12 Still Targeting March Launch From Starbase
Beyond the Starlink cadence, SpaceX is targeting a March 2026 date for Starship Flight 12 from Orbital Pad B at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. Booster 19 — the first of what SpaceX describes as a new block variant following the destruction of Booster 18 during a ground test — has completed a full static fire and is being prepared for stacking with Ship 35.
Flight 12 will attempt a repeat of the Mechazilla tower catch maneuver that succeeded on both Flights 10 and 11. If the booster catch is successful again, it would mark the third consecutive recovery using the launch tower's mechanical arms — a milestone that would validate the system for routine operational use as SpaceX prepares Starship for cargo and eventually crewed missions.
NASA's Artemis 2 mission, which relies on the Space Launch System rather than Starship, was hauled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building on February 25 for repairs after a helium issue was discovered in the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage. A new target of no earlier than early April has been set for the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Next SpaceX Rocket Launch Is Scheduled for March 4 From Cape Canaveral
The next confirmed SpaceX launch after tonight's Vandenberg window is scheduled for March 4, with a window opening at 1:58 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. That mission carries another batch of Starlink satellites, with booster tail number B1078 — flying for its 26th time — assigned to the flight.
A second March 4 launch from Vandenberg is confirmed for 4:00 p.m. ET the same day, carrying 25 additional Starlink satellites to a different orbital shell. The back-to-back same-day launch cadence from opposite coasts has become a recurring feature of SpaceX's 2026 manifest, allowing the company to simultaneously serve multiple orbital planes without conflict on either range.
