SpaceX - Falcon 9 - USSF-366 - SLC-4E - Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA - August 15, 2026

This video provides a comprehensive overview of a SpaceX Falcon 9 mission that launched eight Globalstar satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The broadcast details the key milestones, from the final countdown and strongback retraction to the successful landing of the first-stage booster on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." A central theme highlights SpaceX's reusability, emphasizing that the booster was on its 18th flight and the fairing halves were on their 29th and 27th flights respectively. The mission proceeds nominally, with the second stage achieving proper orbit before deploying all eight satellites as scheduled. The commentary concludes by acknowledging the mission's support teams and noting the purpose of the Globalstar constellation for global connectivity.

• ▶ 3:42 Musical introduction ends and handoff to countdown controller with the phrase "I'll take it from here."
• ▶ 3:44 Final verbal countdown begins with "10" and proceeds sequentially.
• ▶ 3:53 Countdown concludes with the call of "1".
• [4:51-4:57] The mission is launching at 6:50 PM Pacific Time from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
• [6:46-6:51] Both fairing halves are flight-proven, with this being their 29th and 27th flights, respectively.
• [8:00-8:09] The first stage booster will separate about 2.5 minutes into flight and target a landing on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You."
• ▶ 8:40 The strongback retraction sequence begins, with clamp arms opening and the transporter erector pivoting away to clear the vehicle for launch.
• ▶ 11:52 Propellant loading is confirmed complete for both stages, with the Falcon 9 loaded with approximately 1 million pounds of RP-1 and liquid oxygen.
• ▶ 12:39 The onboard flight computers take full control for the final countdown, marking the transition to the autonomous launch sequence.
• ▶ 14:47 The Falcon 9 achieves Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic stress on the vehicle during its ascent.
• ▶ 16:07 The first stage completes its burn (MECO), separates from the second stage, and the second stage engine successfully ignites (SES-1).
• ▶ 16:36 The payload fairing halves are jettisoned to reduce mass now that the rocket is out of the dense atmosphere.
• ▶ 17:39 The entry burn decelerates the booster, causing it to fly through its own exhaust, which deposits soot and gives flight-proven boosters their characteristic appearance.
• ▶ 19:12 The first stage booster is performing its 18th flight, highlighting the importance of reusability for lowering spaceflight costs.
• ▶ 21:40 The final landing burn is executed, followed by landing leg deployment and confirmed touchdown on the drone ship.
• ▶ 29:04 Mission control confirms nominal orbit insertion, meaning the second stage has achieved the correct target orbit.
• ▶ 29:05 The second stage's Merlin Vacuum engine completed its critical second burn (SES-2) to adjust trajectory for final orbit.
• ▶ 29:06 The next milestone is the deployment of the eight Globalstar satellites, scheduled to begin at T+57:28.
• ▶ 39:08 All eight Globalstar satellites are successfully deployed, completing the payload deployment sequence.
• ▶ 33:36 The Globalstar constellation enables low Earth orbit connectivity for direct-to-device, IoT, and messaging, with new satellites integrating to replenish existing assets.
• ▶ 39:23 SpaceX concludes the mission broadcast, acknowledging Globalstar, FAA, and Eastern Range support, and directs viewers for future launch information.
• ▶ 39:53 The entire section consists of continuous instrumental background music with no narrative commentary.
• ▶ 42:15 A single celebratory cheer ("Woo!") is heard over the music.
• ▶ 43:22 The audio concludes with a quiet, final vocal acknowledgment ("Mhm").

• ▶ 0:10 Opening and Initial Countdown (0:10 - 4:39) - Opening music plays followed by the initial countdown sequence and handoff to the launch director.
• ▶ 4:44 Mission Introduction and Vehicle Overview (4:44 - 8:19) - Introduction to the USSF-366 mission, SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle details, stage descriptions, and first stage separation timeline.
• ▶ 8:19 Final Preparations and Launch (8:19 - 13:41) - Transporter erector retraction, propellant loading status, final countdown, and Falcon 9 liftoff.
• ▶ 14:09 Ascent, Staging, and Fairing Separation (14:09 - 16:43) - Early ascent through Max Q, MECO, stage separation, second engine start, and payload fairing separation.
• ▶ 16:48 First Stage Recovery (16:48 - 22:10) - Mission recap, booster return plan, entry and landing burns, transonic phase, and successful first stage landing.
• ▶ 26:37 Second Stage Coast and Orbit Insertion (26:37 - 29:18) - Mission status update during coast phase, views of the payload, and second engine start 2 for nominal orbit insertion.
• ▶ 31:46 Payload Deployment and Mission Conclusion (31:46 - 39:46) - Final preparation for deployment, sequential deployment of all Globalstar satellites, and mission conclusion with acknowledgments.
• ▶ 39:53 Post-Broadcast (39:53 - 43:24) - Background music and post-broadcast content following the end of live coverage.