What Happened
California Prepares for Record-Setting SpaceX Launches
California is poised to set a new annual record for rocket launches with an upcoming SpaceX mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The next launch, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26, will be the 72nd of 2026, surpassing the previous year’s record. SpaceX has two Falcon 9 rocket launches scheduled for the week, both carrying Starlink satellites. The record-breaking launch is expected to deploy 27 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. This development was first reported by USA TODAY NETWORK.