Starlink Group 15-16

Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceX

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 7:25 AM UTC

Mission brief

What is happening

SpaceX is launching Starlink Group 15-16 on a Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. It is a communications mission heading to Low Earth Orbit. The first stage, B1082, is flying for the 26th time, and will attempt a droneship at sea.

Why it matters

Constellation launches fly in batches and repeat often, which is what makes the cadence rather than any single flight the thing worth watching.

What stands out
High-use booster, flight 26
At a glance
Destination
Low Earth Orbit
Payload
Starlink Group 15-16
Mission type
Communications
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Provider
SpaceX
Booster
B1082 · flight 26
Landing
Droneship at sea
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E
Programme
Starlink

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.

What changed

Every change to this schedule, logged as it happened. Most trackers only ever show you today's date.

  1. OCT 27 · 7:45 AM UTC
    Livestream changed
    Detected by RocketRune
  2. OCT 27 · 7:30 AM UTC
    In flight
    Detected by RocketRune
  3. OCT 27 · 7:26 AM UTC
    Liftoff
    Launch Library note·Source
  4. OCT 27 · 4:15 AM UTC
    Moved 1h 39m later
    2026-10-27 05:46 UTC → 2026-10-27 07:25 UTC
    Detected by RocketRune
  5. OCT 26 · 7:45 PM UTC
    Moved 1h 2m later
    2026-10-27 04:45 UTC → 2026-10-27 05:46 UTC
    Detected by RocketRune
  6. OCT 23 · 2:15 PM UTC
    Moved 23h 45m later
    2026-10-26 05:00 UTC → 2026-10-27 04:45 UTC
    Detected by RocketRune
  7. OCT 22 · 1:15 AM UTC
    Moved 23h 46m later
    2026-10-25 05:14 UTC → 2026-10-26 05:00 UTC
    Detected by RocketRune
  8. OCT 21 · 9:15 PM UTC
    Moved 23h 45m later
    2026-10-24 05:29 UTC → 2026-10-25 05:14 UTC
    Detected by RocketRune

15 more entries in the full history of this launch. RocketRune Pro shows every change and every dated note.

Where you can see it

BEST NEARBY VIEW
Lompoc
Excellent · Look almost straight up
  • Nearly overhead, 85° above your horizon
  • Night launch, no lit plume but maximum contrast
  • 9 miles to the pad, west
CityDistanceLookElevation
LompocCalifornia9 mioverhead85°
Santa BarbaraCalifornia54 miwest-northwest59°
BakersfieldCalifornia104 miwest-southwest41°
Los AngelesCalifornia141 miwest-northwest32°
San DiegoCalifornia239 minorthwest19°

Direction and elevation are calculated from the pad position and the published launch time. Cloud cover is not included here because a forecast changes faster than this page updates. The live tracker scores the sky over your own location.

Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Vehicle
Falcon 9 Block 5
Provider
SpaceX
Orbit
LEO
Payload
Starlink Group 15-16
Status
Launch in Flight
Booster
B1082
Landing
Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship
Vehicle height
70 m
Liftoff thrust
7,607 kN
Vehicle type flights
643
Vehicle type success rate
99.7%
Programme
Starlink

Can you see this launch from where you are?

RocketRune works out the direction to look, how high the rocket will sit in your sky, the cloud forecast over you and whether the plume will be lit, then scores it out of 100.

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See the full launch schedule