SpaceX launches classified USSF mission and Starlink satellites from Vandenberg

SpaceX has conducted a series of launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California involving both classified and commercial payloads.

A recent mission, designated USSF-366, successfully deployed a classified U.S. Space Force payload from Space Launch Complex 4E. While the mission had no public manifest, analysts suggest the launch profile aligns with SpaceX’s Starshield program, which provides national security-focused satellite services for the Pentagon.

In a separate operation, SpaceX launched the Starlink 17-50 mission to deploy 24 broadband internet satellites into low Earth orbit. This mission utilizes the Falcon 9 booster B1097, which is scheduled to land on the droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ in the Pacific Ocean. This deployment brings the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to approximately 11,000.