Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 25 Starlink satellites to polar, low Earth orbit

File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands in launch position at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of the launch of the NROL-57 mission. Image: SpaceX

SpaceX plans to launch 25 of its Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites from California on Sunday morning.

The Starlink 17-20 mission will send the broadband satellites into a polar low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket will fly on a southerly trajectory upon leaving Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East is scheduled for 7:38:20 a.m. PST (10:38:20 a.m. EST / 1538:20 UTC).

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about 30 minutes prior to launch.



SpaceX will launch the mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number 1097. This will be its sixth flight after launching Sentinel-6B, the Twilight ride share and three batches of Starlink satellites.

Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1097 is set to land on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ If successful, this will be the 173rd landing on this vessel and the 563rd booster landing for SpaceX to date.