SpaceX launches USSF-259 mission from California
On September 17, 2026, SpaceX launched the USSF-259 mission using a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The first stage of the rocket successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You. This mission is part of U.S. Space Force operations and marks a continued success for SpaceX's reusable rocket program.
SpaceX launched the USSF-259 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on September 17, 2026, using a Falcon 9 rocket. The flight marks another step in the company’s work providing the government with consistent access to space. After the payload was delivered to orbit to support the U.S. Space Force, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket returned for a landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You. This recovery highlights the practical use of reusable rocket technology. Though such missions are now frequent, they remain a central part of the work to maintain national security and technical infrastructure in space.
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