SpaceX Debuts Falcon 9 Booster B1100 Launching 28 Starlink Satellites From Vandenberg

SpaceX successfully integrated a new first-stage booster, designated B1100, into its operational fleet with a mission on Sunday, November 23, 2025. This inaugural flight carried 28 Starlink satellites, identified as Group 11-30, destined for low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch sequence commenced at 3:48 a.m. EST, corresponding to 12:48 a.m. PST local time, with payload deployment occurring precisely one hour and 19 minutes into the flight.

This mission augmented the commercial broadband internet network, which comprised over 9,000 active units as of that date. The event underscored SpaceX’s operational tempo for 2025, marking the 150th Falcon 9 launch of the year for the company. Furthermore, this represented the 63rd rocket launch or missile test originating from Vandenberg during the 2025 calendar year. The debut booster, B1100, successfully completed its first flight, culminating in a precise landing on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) "Of Course I Still Love You" (OCISLY) in the Pacific Ocean approximately eight and a half minutes post-liftoff. This landing marked the 166th recorded recovery on the OCISLY vessel.

The successful West Coast launch followed closely on the heels of the 149th Falcon 9 mission, which occurred just one day prior on Saturday, November 22, from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The successful recovery of the new B1100 booster reinforces SpaceX's core business strategy centered on cost reduction through the rapid refurbishment and reuse of Falcon boosters. The OCISLY drone ship supports West Coast missions from Vandenberg and is one of three operational ASDS vessels, alongside Just Read the Instructions (JRTI) and A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG).

The Starlink constellation, operated by Starlink Services, LLC, is rapidly expanding its global footprint, having recently surpassed 8 million subscribers as of November 2025. The company holds authorization to deploy up to 12,000 satellites, with ambitions extending to 42,000 units. The high operational cadence demonstrated by consecutive launches from Florida and California highlights an advanced level of operational maturity, with SpaceX targeting around 170 orbital missions for 2025. For the aerospace sector, the debut of B1100 signifies a continuous internal milestone in fleet management and the drive toward higher launch frequency, a key factor in achieving lower marginal launch costs.

The next scheduled event in the operational timeline is the Transporter-15 mission, slated for Wednesday, November 26, 2025. The Vandenberg Space Force Base Guardians and Airmen supported this launch, which followed an orbital mechanics-driven window to ensure the precise insertion of the satellites into space.