SpaceX launched the USSF-259 mission for the U.S. Space Force using a Falcon 9 rocket at 6:07 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The countdown was previously scrubbed on Tuesday before the mission was successfully launched during the Wednesday launch window. SpaceX's official mission page has been updated to reflect the completed launch.
The first stage booster for this flight was on its 13th flight, having previously supported missions including Sentinel-6B, Twilight, NROL-172, Transporter-17, and eight Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY) in the Pacific Ocean.
Liftoff!
— SpaceX (@SpaceX, 2026-09-17 01:08 UTC)
Falcon 9’s first stage lands on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship
— SpaceX (@SpaceX, 2026-09-17 01:17 UTC)
The payload for this mission is classified as a U.S. Space Force classified mission, and no details have been disclosed in publicly available information. For mission details, refer to the USSF-259 page on the SpaceX website.