SpaceX Postpones Starlink Launch to Wednesday After Technical Scrub

Key points

• SpaceX scrubbed the Tuesday launch attempt due to an unresolved technical issue and moved the mission to a window between 2:59 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. PDT on Wednesday.
• The mission, designated Starlink 15-15, will deploy 27 satellites into low-Earth orbit using the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East.
• Booster B1063 is targeting its 36th flight, a milestone that would make it the second Falcon 9 booster to achieve this number of launches.
• The booster is expected to land on the droneship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, marking the 229th landing on that vessel.
• SpaceX reported $5.2 billion in connectivity revenue for the third quarter, a 22 percent increase, and added 1.6 million Starlink customers during that period.

Background

Vandenberg Space Force Base is on track to tie its 2025 record of 71 launches in a single year. This launch follows a classified Space Force mission on October 15 and precedes a planned Starship launch in November. Recent archive coverage noted previous scrubs for military and commercial missions, highlighting the high cadence of SpaceX operations from the West Coast.

How outlets are covering it

KSBY and Spaceflight Now both confirm the rescheduling to Wednesday due to technical issues, though Spaceflight Now specifies the booster landing on 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' while KSBY references 'Of Course I Still Love You,' indicating a potential discrepancy in droneship assignment or a typo in one source. The Ventura County Star emphasizes the launch's significance for tying the annual record at Vandenberg. In contrast, cristinaiglesias.com focuses on a different booster, B1081, and its 28th flight, which is unrelated to the current Starlink 15-15 mission but highlights the broader trend of high-reuse Falcon 9 boosters. Spaceflight Now provides additional context on Starlink's financial performance and future Starship plans, whereas KSBY focuses primarily on the immediate launch logistics.

Why it matters

The successful launch would tie the annual launch record at Vandenberg and demonstrate the reliability of high-reuse Falcon 9 boosters. It also underscores the rapid growth of Starlink's customer base and revenue, which is critical for SpaceX's financial sustainability and future Starship development.

What to watch

SpaceX will attempt the launch within the Wednesday window, with a live webcast starting 10 minutes before liftoff. If the launch is successful, it will mark the 36th flight for booster B1063 and the 229th landing on the designated droneship. The next major event is the anticipated Starship launch in November, which includes a catch attempt for both the ship and Super Heavy booster.