For the second time this week, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base to deliver a batch of Starlink satellites into orbit.

The two-stage rocket built by SpaceX blasted off at 12:42 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 with Falcon’s first-stage booster landing on the droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. 

The mission involved a relatively new booster which marked its fourth launch and landing Thursday. 

Nearly an hour later, SpaceX confirmed the 28 Starlink satellites, designed and built by SpaceX, had deployed as planned. 

With more than 8,500 satellites in orbit, Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency internet service around the world including areas where land-based access isn’t available or reliable.

The service now is available in South Korea.

“Starlink is rugged enough to provide reliable video livestreams during rocket landings on autonomous droneships more than 300 miles offshore,” Starlink representatives said following a Falcon rocket from Florida earlier this week.

Thursday’s liftoff marked the 66th of 2025 for Vandenberg including missile tests and rocket launches with SpaceX’s Falcon accounting for most of the missions. 

The West Coast’s third Falcon 9 rocket launch of December could occur as soon as Sunday with the team reportedly targeting between 8:13 a.m. and 12:13 p.m.