Full Breakdown
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink V2 Mini Satellites After Prior-Day Abort
7/22/2026, 11:20:07 AM
Successful Starlink V2 Mini Launch After Prior-Day Abort
On July 21, 2026, SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:49 a.m. PDT (10:49 a.m. EDT / 1449 UTC). The vehicle carried 24 Starlink V2 Mini broadband satellites, which were deployed into a 97-degree inclination low-Earth orbit roughly one hour after liftoff. The launch followed a scrub on July 20, 2026, when an engine-cutoff occurred at ignition, prompting an immediate abort. SpaceX did not disclose the cause of the earlier failure but resolved the issue before the successful attempt.
Background: Recent Engine Cutoffs
The July 20 abort marked the second consecutive last-second engine shutdown for SpaceX. Earlier, on July 16, 2026, the company experienced an unrelated abort during the first attempt of the 13th test flight of its Starship megarocket. That Starship flight has been rescheduled for July 23, 2026. These back-to-back aborts underscore the challenges of high-frequency launch operations, though the company’s rapid turnaround demonstrates operational resilience.
Launch Details and Statistics
- Booster: Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1082, on its 23rd flight, previously supported missions such as NROL-145, USSF-62, and OneWeb Launch 20.
- Landing: More than eight minutes after liftoff, B1082 touched down on the droneship *Of Course I Still Love You* in the Pacific Ocean, marking the vessel’s 212th recovery and the 640th booster landing overall.
- Mission count: This was SpaceX’s 85th Falcon 9 launch of the year, with 67 of those dedicated to expanding the Starlink constellation, which now exceeds 10,800 spacecraft.
Official Statements and Upcoming Flights
SpaceX announced on its social-media channels that the deployment of the 24 Starlink satellites was confirmed. The company also noted that the Starship test flight originally slated for July 16 has been moved to July 23, 2026. No further details about the July 20 abort have been released.
