SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Starlink Group 17-53
Launched
August 4, 2026 · 17:05 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
SpaceX's Falcon 9 Block 5 successfully inserted 24 satellites for Starlink Group 17-53, adding capacity to the constellation aiming to provide space-based internet connectivity.
- Watch
- SpaceX Starlink Group 17-53The Space Devs
- Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink internet satellites from CaliforniaSpaceflight Now
- Starlink MissionSpaceX
- Vehicle
- Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceXStarlink
- Booster
- B1063 · flight 34 · Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship at Of Course I Still Love You · landed230/238 landed here · 44 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 17-28 · 574 km downrange
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for SpX
- Milestone
- 616th Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 90th this yearSpaceX's 712th launch93rd this yearhumanity's 7,356th orbital launch attempt183rd orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubOrbit: as tracked
STARLINK-38189 · NORAD 100213 · 2026-177A · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 23 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- STARLINK-38189
- Object ID
- 2026-177A
- Epoch
- 2026-09-03 02:07:21 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.75211077 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00003026
- Inclination
- 97.2833°
- Ascending node
- 296.549°
- Arg. of perigee
- 127.0507°
- Mean anomaly
- 233.0786°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 465
- B*
- 0.00075522357
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile. Booster return drawn from padside's representative arc.
Flight timeline
- T−38MGO for Prop Load
- T−35MProp Load
- T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−1MTank Press
- T−1MStartup
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M8SMax-Q
- T+2M25SMECO
- T+2M29SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M36SSES-1
- T+2M57SFairing Separation
- T+5M59SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M22SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+7M57SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8M19SStage 1 Landing
- T+8M40SSECO-1
- T+52M24SSES-2
- T+52M25SSECO-2
- T+1H1M16SStarlink Deployment
About this launch
Starlink Group 17-53 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on August 4, 2026 at 17:05 UTC. The launch window ran from 14:00 to 18:00 UTC. It was SpaceX's 712th launch, 93rd this year and humanity's 7,356th orbital launch attempt. It was the 616th Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 90th this year. Booster B1063 flew for the 34th time and landed at Of Course I Still Love You. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). The earliest tracked orbit of STARLINK-38189, one of 23 catalogued objects, from August 7, 2026, was 284 × 286 km inclined 97.3°.
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
News
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFBThe Starlink 17-53 mission is the 90th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 10:05 a.m. PDT (1:05 p.m. EDT / 1705 UTC).
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Airspace and maritime notices
1 notice filed by the US Coast Guard
- Sector San Diego, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)/Space Operations/Hazardous Warning Area/Commercial (Hazardous) · Expired
Matched by notice text · Source
Pad
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
287th launch from Space Launch Complex 4E, 49th this year · 903rd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Aug 4, 10:05 AM PDT, in daylight
303 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
3 days 13 hours after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 8/4/2026 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/4/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 8/4/2026 · source
Now targeting Aug 04 at 17:05 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/4/2026 · source
Now targeting Aug 04 at 16:29 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/4/2026 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/4/2026 · source
Now targeting Aug 04 at 16:24 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 8/3/2026 · source
Now targeting Aug 04 at 14:00 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/29/2026 · source
Now targeting Aug 03 at 14:00 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/27/2026 · source
Questions
When did Starlink Group 17-53 launch?
Starlink Group 17-53 launched on August 4, 2026 at 17:05 UTC. The launch window ran from 14:00 to 18:00 UTC.
Where can I watch Starlink Group 17-53?
Coverage: SpaceX Starlink Group 17-53; Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink internet satellites from California; Starlink Mission. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Starlink Group 17-53?
Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet
Where did Starlink Group 17-53 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Liftoff was Aug 4, 10:05 AM PDT local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1063 flew for the 34th time and landed at Of Course I Still Love You.
What orbit did Starlink Group 17-53 reach?
The earliest tracked orbit of STARLINK-38189, one of 23 catalogued objects, from August 7, 2026, was 284 × 286 km inclined 97.3°.
Which program is Starlink Group 17-53 part of?
Starlink. About Starlink