SpaceX did not launch a Falcon 9 carrying 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday, when liftoff had been targeted for 4:10 p.m. PDT (7:10 p.m. EDT). SpaceX now lists the next attempt for Wednesday, Oct. 21, between 2:59 and 6:59 p.m. PDT. Earlier Tuesday, SpaceX reported $5.2 billion in third-quarter connectivity revenue and said it added 1.6 million Starlink customers.
Updated after the scheduled launch window: SpaceX did not launch the 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as targeted at 4:10 p.m. PDT (7:10 p.m. EDT). SpaceX now lists the next attempt for Wednesday, Oct. 21. Headline, summary, TL;DR and body revised from future to past tense to reflect the outcome.
An earlier version of the TL;DR said the Falcon 9 had already launched and that booster B1063 landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The launch was still scheduled for 4:10 p.m. PDT, and SpaceX's mission page says the booster will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific (spacex.com/launches/sl-15-15). The TL;DR has been corrected.
SpaceX closed the quarter with more than 11,100 Starlink satellites in orbit.
The company plans to deploy Starlink V3 satellites in meaningful volume through the end of 2026 and throughout 2027, with each Starship launch eventually providing over 20 times the downlink capacity of current Falcon 9 missions.
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SpaceX reported Q3 2026 revenue of $14.6 billion, up 161% from a year earlier, and net income of $4.4 billion. On its earnings webcast, CFO Bret Johnsen said SpaceX expects Q1 2027 revenue of $33 billion to $37 billion, and CEO Elon Musk said SpaceX will try to catch Starship on Flight 15 next month, pending FAA approval.
SpaceX launched Bandwagon-5 from Cape Canaveral on October 20 at 11:04 UTC, carrying its Starfall reentry capsule and 31 customer payloads, 32 in all. The Falcon 9 booster landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas after Monday's attempt was scrubbed for weather.
SpaceX has agreed to acquire Grain Management's nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio, which it says will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major US mobile carrier. The deal needs FCC approval, and financial terms were not disclosed.
NASA will conduct a 2027 Earth-orbit test of successive docking between Orion and lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin to support a planned 2028 crewed moon landing. The agency expanded contracts with both companies after launch delays raised concerns about falling behind China.
SpaceX bought $151 million in Tesla Megapack purchases during the third quarter in its latest 10-Q filing. The purchases bring the company's year-to-date total to $480 million.
