Space Force Clears Falcon 9 for USSF-385 Launch From Vandenberg

The U.S. Space Force has approved a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of the USSF-385 mission early Saturday from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The primary launch window opens at 7 a.m. Saturday, September 26, with a backup opportunity Sunday at 5:49 a.m.

Base officials cautioned that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, depending on weather and other conditions. Launch dates and times remain subject to change due to mission requirements.

Following stage separation, the first stage booster will return and touch down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean for later retrieval. This will be the 10th flight for the booster supporting the mission. It previously launched NROL-95 and eight Starlink missions.

The payload for USSF-385 is classified. Independent trackers suggest the mission may carry a batch of classified low Earth orbit satellites built on SpaceX's Starshield satellite bus, based on rocket stage drop zones that reportedly match previous Starlink Group 15 launches exactly. The vehicle is a Falcon 9 Block 5.

A Starshield batch launched under a Space Force mission number would offer a concrete data point on how quickly SpaceX's classified constellation work is scaling for the national security customer. The overlap between military Starshield and commercial Starlink infrastructure is among the most consequential and least transparent trends in the sector. If the trajectory analysis is correct, the Pentagon's classified LEO constellation is quietly riding the same production line that builds Starlink.

A live webcast of the mission will begin about 10 minutes prior to liftoff, accessible at SpaceX's launch page and via the X TV app. Weather and other conditions will determine whether the launch proceeds within the primary Saturday window or moves to the Sunday backup.