For the second month in a row, eight Falcon 9 rockets have launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base to deliver dozens of satellites into orbit.
The West Coast team for SpaceX capped October with a rocket’s departure at 1:41 p.m. Friday from Space Launch Complex-4 on South Base.
The first-stage booster successfully completed its 29th launch and landing when it touched down on the droneship in the Pacific Ocean.
The rocket carried 28 Starlink satellites into space, with the company confirming as hour after departure that deployment occurred.
Last month, the West Coast team marked their first-ever eight-mission month, spurred on by a Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX vice president of launch, promise which he has since paid off.
“Promises made. Promises kept! Pie’s to the face and chicken suit dunk tank for an 8 launch month on the West Coast. If all goes well, the @SpaceX West Coast team will fly tomorrow and complete back to back months with 8 launches each!” Dontchev posted Thursday.
Accompanying the post was proof of his payoff — pictures and video him sporting a chicken costume while stoically taking multiple pies to the face and sitting in a dunk tank.
The Halloween launch also marked the 100th Falcon mission to deliver Starlinlk satellites for 2025, with roughly 40 occurring from Vandenberg and the rest taking place from Florida.
November will bring more Falcon flights from Vandenberg.
But the West Coast’s first launch of the month is set to be an unarmed Minuteman III missile test early Wednesday morning from North Base.
The test launch is part of a program to collect data on the accuracy and reliability of the intercontinental ballistic missile fleet. Those tests are scheduled years in advance with preparations starting months ahead of the blastoff and are not related to any heightened tensions around the world.
