Latest Developments

SpaceX is pressing forward with its relentless Starlink cadence, targeting a 7:36 a.m. PDT liftoff Sunday from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base for the Starlink 17-40 mission, which will deploy 24 additional broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch continues what has become one of the most aggressive satellite deployment programs in history, with the constellation now standing at 12,366 total launches, 10,705 satellites in orbit, and 10,689 actively operational. Each new batch incrementally improves global coverage density and redundancy, particularly across mid- and high-latitude regions served by the Vandenberg-launched orbital shells. If successful, Starlink 17-40 will push the active fleet another step closer to SpaceX’s next internal capacity threshold.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction and reentry threat picture shows one HIGH risk conjunction event predicted for late June 2026, with STARLINK-30922 facing a potentially hazardous encounter with TIANMU-1 15 at a minimum range of just 7 meters. Additionally, five Starlink satellites are predicted to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between June 28-30, 2026, with decay windows ranging from 60 to 840 minutes, presenting moderate operational tracking challenges. The upcoming reentry activity is concentrated over a short timeframe and should be monitored closely for debris risk assessment and conjunction probability updates as TLE ages decrease.

Detailed Coverage

Starlink 17-40 Targets Sunday Morning Liftoff from Vandenberg SFB

SpaceX has scheduled the Starlink 17-40 mission for liftoff at 7:36 a.m. PDT (10:36 a.m. EDT / 14:36 UTC) on Sunday, June 28, from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 will carry 24 Starlink broadband satellites destined for low Earth orbit, contributing to the shell of the constellation that provides coverage across higher-inclination ground tracks — a critical complement to launches out of Cape Canaveral that serve lower-latitude users.

Vandenberg remains SpaceX’s primary West Coast launch facility and sees regular Starlink cadence alongside national security and civil science payloads. Once deployed, the 24 satellites will join a working fleet of 10,689 operational spacecraft, undergoing initial checkout before being maneuvered to their operational altitudes. Trackers should expect a new cluster of objects to appear in publicly available catalogs within 24–72 hours of deployment, temporarily increasing the debris-monitoring workload before the satellites raise their orbits and spread across the shell.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Constellation Status

The Starlink constellation has remained stable since the last check, with no new launches or orbital changes. The constellation currently consists of 12,366 total satellites launched, of which 10,705 remain in orbit, 10,689 are operational, and 1,661 have decayed from their orbits.

• Total Launched: 12366
• Total On Orbit: 10705
• Total Working: 10689

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink