Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🚀 SpaceX successfully launched 15 V2 mini Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
- 🌫️ The launch was initially delayed due to a perceived leak in the second stage, but the subsequent attempt was successful.
- 🛰️ Falcon 9 booster 1071 landed on the droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ after its 10th successful mission.
- 🌅 The second stage’s exhaust plume created a ‘twilight effect,’ visible from Southern California and Arizona.
- 📡 The 15 V2 mini Starlinks brought the total Starlink satellites launched to 4,837, undergoing checkouts before reaching operational orbits.
- 🤖 Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus Bot, faced delays due to issues with actuator supply, but production ramp is expected after November.
On the previous night at 9:09 p.m. PT (04:09 UTC), SpaceX achieved a successful launch of 15 V2 mini Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
After a last-second aborted launch attempt the night before, SpaceX conducted thorough checkouts of the Falcon 9 and determined that conditions were favorable for another launch. The initial attempt was halted early in the countdown due to a “perceived leak” in the second stage, followed by an automated abort at T-minus 5 seconds. However, the subsequent launch was a success, sending the next-gen satellites into orbit.
The webcast began with a foggy view, and SpaceX even included an outline of the Falcon 9 on the screen to help viewers visualize the rocket amid the thick Vandenberg fog. The countdown progressed smoothly, and the Falcon 9 lifted off, heading south along the California coastline.
After a two-and-a-half-minute burn of the Falcon 9 first stage, the engines shut down, and the first and second stages separated. Falcon 9 booster 1071 successfully landed on the droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ approximately nine-and-a-half minutes after launch, making it the booster’s 10th successful mission.
As the first stage returned to Earth, the second stage ascended to the correct altitude, entering the sunlight and creating a stunning ‘twilight effect’ that caught the attention of people in Southern California and even as far as Arizona, who looked up in awe as the rocket soared through the skies.
Approximately 15 minutes after launch, the 15 V2 mini Starlinks separated, adding to the ever-growing fleet of Starlink satellites, now totaling 4,837.
Now, these satellites will undergo checkouts as they ascend to their designated operational orbits.
