SpaceX to Launch Falcon 9 with 25 Starlink Satellites from California

Exam-focused facts from the 2 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 25 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
According to Indian Standard Time (IST), the launch window is scheduled from 20:47 on February 2, 2026, to 00:47 on February 3, 2026.
The mission will utilise a first-stage booster that has already flown 30 times, marking its 31st flight as part of the company’s reusability programme.
Following stage separation, the first stage is planned to perform a controlled landing on the Pacific Ocean-based droneship named Of Course I Still Love You.
The Falcon 9 is a two-stage reusable rocket whose first stage is propelled by nine Merlin engines using liquid oxygen and rocket-grade paraffin as fuel.