Skip to main content

How to watch SpaceX’s latest Starlink satellite launch today

SpaceX will be launching a batch of Starlink satellites today, December 18, using a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The launch will be livestreamed and we’ve got the details on how you can watch along at home.

Starlink Mission

The launch is scheduled for 4:41 a.m. PT, but if there are any issues with the launch today then there is a backup opportunity for launch tomorrow, Sunday, December 19, at 1:03 a.m. PT.

Recommended Videos

As is typical for its launches, SpaceX will livestream the launch of the rocket as well as information about the separation of the rocket stages and the eventual insertion of the Starlink satellites into orbit. There should also be video footage of the rocket’s first stage returning to Earth and being caught in the Pacific Ocean by one of SpaceX’s droneships.

You can watch along using the video embedded above, or by heading to SpaceX’s YouTube channel. The livestream will begin around 15 minutes before the launch, so that will be at around 4:25 a.m. PT.

What to expect from the launch

SpaceX will use a Falcon 9 rocket for this launch, and as is also typical for the company, parts of the rocket are being re-used from previous missions.

“The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Dragon’s first crew demonstration mission, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, SXM-7, and seven Starlink missions,” SpaceX wrote in a statement. “Following stage separation, the first stage will return to Earth and land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.”

Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which uses a network of satellites to allow broadband internet coverage even in remote areas. The program is currently in beta, with early-access customers able to use a basic version of the service. Today’s launch of 52 more Starlink satellites will further build out the network.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
How to watch SpaceX’s fifth Starship test flight on Sunday
spacex starship fifth flight live stream 5 website desktop 1 12e2f537a0 jpg

SpaceX is getting ready to launch its mighty Starship on its fifth test flight, scheduled for Sunday, October 13. With a mostly-successful fourth test flight behind it, the Starship has already been into orbit and returned to Earth mostly intact. This time, SpaceX will be hoping to catch its Super Heavy booster as well as taking the upper stage Starship into orbit.

The exact date of this fifth test flight has been delayed due to issues with licensing from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but SpaceX has now confirmed it is targeting 8 a.m. ET (5 a.m. PT) Sunday for its test.

Read more
How to watch the Europa Clipper mission launch on Monday
This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter.

Update: NASA has confirmed launch is scheduled for no earlier than 12:06 p.m. ET on Monday.

NASA's Europa Clipper mission, set to visit the icy moon of Jupiter, was set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week but had its launch delayed because of Hurricane Milton. Now, NASA has announced that it is targeting no earlier than Monday, October 14, for the launch, and we've got the details on how you can watch the event live.
What to expect from the Europa Clipper launch
The mission intends to explore Europa, the moon of Jupiter that has a liquid water ocean beneath a thick, icy shell. Because of the presence of liquid water there, scientists want to learn whether the moon could be potentially habitable, as it is one of the most promising locations that life could survive outside of Earth. The mission will search for information about the ocean and the presence of the building blocks of life, called organic compounds, to see if the ingredients for life are present there.

Read more
SpaceX could launch Starship on 5th test flight much earlier than expected
The world's most powerful rocket on the launchpad.

There’s growing expectation that SpaceX could launch the mighty Starship rocket as early as Sunday, October 13.

SpaceX was informed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last month that it was unlikely to receive a launch permit until late November as the regulator needed time to complete work on its flight launch assessment.

Read more