Starlink 17-21: Veteran Booster Marks 32nd Flight in Vandenberg Night Launch

SpaceX launched Starlink Group 17-21 on April 10, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, with a liftoff window between 7:39 and 11:39 p.m. PT. The mission carried 25 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to sun-synchronous orbit, continuing the build-out of the polar-orbit shell of the Starlink constellation. The Falcon 9 first stage booster assigned to this mission flew for the 32nd time, making it one of SpaceX's most experienced active boosters. Following main engine cutoff and stage separation, the booster performed a flawless landing on the autonomous drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' (OCISLY) in the Pacific Ocean. U.S. Space Force's Delta 30 (Vandenberg SFB) confirmed launch authorization and provided a live webcast at spacex.com/launches/sl-17-21. With this launch, SpaceX's 2026 orbital launch count reached 44. The successful recovery pushed all-time Falcon booster landings to 597.