SpaceX photo Back-to-back Starlink missions including a mid-morning liftoff at Vandenberg Space Force Base punctuated the completion of a busy half year for the SpaceX team on both coasts. The two-stage rocket blasted off at 10:13 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base. While the stubborn marine layer shrouded the rocket’s departure on the livestream, Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade participants and spectators were rewarded with clear skies to view the flight. An hour after departure, the rocket delivered 26 Starlink satellites into orbit, according to SpaceX. Additionally, the first-stage booster completed its eighth landing after successfully touching down on the droneship parked in the Pacific Ocean. Vandenberg’s launch occurred hours after another Starlink mission from the East Coast. Sign Up for the A.M. Report Keep up with Noozhawk's daily news coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox. Sign up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “Proper way to end the first half of 2025,” Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX vice president of launch, said on social media Saturday afternoon. Teams on both coasts set records on the two missions, he added. For the West Coast Falcon crew, the mission marked five days from the flown booster’s arrival via barge to launch from Vandenberg, he added. “Insane and incredible work by the @SpaceX Falcon team,’ he added. Saturday’s launch also signaled the sixth Falcon flight in June from Vandenberg and the 81st of the year including missions from both California and Florida. Counting other rockets and missiles that have lifted off since Jan. 1, the base has seen more than 30 launches so far this year. Tagged: