Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink Group 15-23 — launch date, time, visibility & where to look

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.

Falcon 9 Block 5 on the pad
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Provider
SpaceX
Launch site
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Status
Go for Launch

Countdown to liftoff

Targeting Sep 2, 2026, 3:46 AM Eastern · Sep 2, 2026, 7:46 AM UTC

Launch time

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Sky outlook at the pad

Daily cloud cover and rain chance at Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA:

  • Today 50% cloud 4% rain
  • Mon 90% cloud 3% rain
  • Tue 27% cloud 0% rain
  • Wed 2% cloud 0% rain Launch day

Forecast at the launch site; check your own sky too: cloud over you can hide a launch the pad forecast says is clear.

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Visibility map: how far away can you see it?

Each ring shows how far away Falcon 9 Block 5 is line-of-sight visible that many seconds into flight: about 89 miles by T+30s, 192 miles by T+60s, and roughly 305 miles by T+90s. City dots are colored by the expected view quality; the table below has the direction to look from each.

N ↑ T+90s T+75s T+60s T+45s T+30s T+15s Los Angeles, CA — 141 mi from the pad · excellent view expected Los Angeles Santa Barbara, CA — 54 mi from the pad · excellent view expected Santa Barbara San Luis Obispo, CA — 45 mi from the pad · excellent view expected San Luis Obispo Pismo Beach, CA — 35 mi from the pad · excellent view expected Pismo Beach San Diego, CA — 238 mi from the pad · excellent view expected San Diego Bakersfield, CA — 103 mi from the pad · excellent view expected Bakersfield Long Beach, CA — 151 mi from the pad · excellent view expected Long Beach Fresno, CA — 153 mi from the pad · good view expected Fresno San Jose, CA — 200 mi from the pad · good view expected San Jose Space Launch Complex 4E
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-23 visibility range: each ring marks how far away the rocket is above the horizon that many seconds after liftoff, out to about 305 miles at T+90s. Rings are line-of-sight geometry from a representative ascent profile, centered on the pad — the rocket also travels downrange, stretching views along its track, and night launches are often visible well beyond the outer ring. Assumes clear skies and an open horizon.

Which cities can see this launch?

Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon. The 10 most likely first:

CityVisibilityLook towardDistance to pad
Lompoc, CA Excellent west 9 mi
Vandenberg Village, CA Excellent southwest 10 mi
Orcutt, CA Excellent south-southwest 19 mi
Los Alamos, CA Excellent west-southwest 21 mi
Guadalupe, CA Excellent south 23 mi
Buellton, CA Excellent west 24 mi
Santa Maria, CA Excellent south-southwest 24 mi
Solvang, CA Excellent west 27 mi
Pismo Beach, CA Excellent south 35 mi
San Luis Obispo, CA Excellent south 45 mi
Show all 94 cities
CityVisibilityLook towardDistance to pad
Santa Barbara, CA Excellent west-northwest 54 mi
Ventura, CA Excellent west-northwest 79 mi
Oxnard, CA Excellent west-northwest 87 mi
Bakersfield, CA Excellent west-southwest 103 mi
Thousand Oaks, CA Excellent west-northwest 106 mi
Malibu, CA Excellent west-northwest 117 mi
Los Angeles, CA Excellent west-northwest 141 mi
Mojave, CA Excellent west-southwest 141 mi
Pasadena, CA Excellent west-northwest 145 mi
Long Beach, CA Excellent west-northwest 151 mi
Fresno, CA Good south-southwest 153 mi
San Jose, CA Good south-southeast 200 mi
San Diego, CA Excellent northwest 238 mi
Laredo, TX Marginal west 1339 mi
Corpus Christi, TX Marginal west 1446 mi
McAllen, TX Marginal west 1451 mi
Rockport, TX Marginal west 1460 mi
Port Aransas, TX Marginal west 1464 mi
Harlingen, TX Marginal west 1480 mi
Los Fresnos, TX Marginal west 1496 mi
Bayview, TX Marginal west 1498 mi
Brownsville, TX Marginal west 1501 mi
Laguna Vista, TX Marginal west 1505 mi
Port Isabel, TX Marginal west 1511 mi
South Padre Island, TX Marginal west 1512 mi
Grand Isle, LA Not visible — 1826 mi
Gulf Shores, AL Not visible — 1934 mi
Pensacola Beach, FL Not visible — 1964 mi
Tallahassee, FL Not visible — 2125 mi
Valdosta, GA Not visible — 2173 mi
Gainesville, FL Not visible — 2253 mi
Brunswick, GA Not visible — 2268 mi
Savannah, GA Not visible — 2273 mi
Jacksonville, FL Not visible — 2276 mi
Tampa, FL Not visible — 2285 mi
Hilton Head Island, SC Not visible — 2290 mi
St. Augustine, FL Not visible — 2305 mi
Lakeland, FL Not visible — 2312 mi
Palm Coast, FL Not visible — 2318 mi
Charleston, SC Not visible — 2326 mi
Orlando, FL Not visible — 2332 mi
Sanford, FL Not visible — 2332 mi
Kissimmee, FL Not visible — 2337 mi
Daytona Beach, FL Not visible — 2337 mi
New Smyrna Beach, FL Not visible — 2346 mi
Mims, FL Not visible — 2360 mi
Titusville, FL Not visible — 2363 mi
Myrtle Beach, SC Not visible — 2369 mi
Rockledge, FL Not visible — 2374 mi
Merritt Island, FL Not visible — 2376 mi
Port Canaveral, FL Not visible — 2379 mi
Cocoa Beach, FL Not visible — 2381 mi
Satellite Beach, FL Not visible — 2386 mi
Melbourne, FL Not visible — 2387 mi
Palm Bay, FL Not visible — 2390 mi
Indialantic, FL Not visible — 2390 mi
Richmond, VA Not visible — 2398 mi
Sebastian, FL Not visible — 2402 mi
Washington, DC Not visible — 2407 mi
Vero Beach, FL Not visible — 2410 mi
Fort Pierce, FL Not visible — 2419 mi
Port St. Lucie, FL Not visible — 2422 mi
Baltimore, MD Not visible — 2427 mi
Annapolis, MD Not visible — 2435 mi
West Palm Beach, FL Not visible — 2455 mi
Newport News, VA Not visible — 2455 mi
Fort Lauderdale, FL Not visible — 2466 mi
Norfolk, VA Not visible — 2468 mi
Miami, FL Not visible — 2473 mi
Cape Charles, VA Not visible — 2478 mi
Virginia Beach, VA Not visible — 2485 mi
Dover, DE Not visible — 2486 mi
Exmore, VA Not visible — 2486 mi
Onancock, VA Not visible — 2487 mi
Salisbury, MD Not visible — 2489 mi
Pocomoke City, MD Not visible — 2493 mi
Philadelphia, PA Not visible — 2498 mi
Chincoteague, VA Not visible — 2505 mi
Wallops Island, VA Not visible — 2505 mi
Berlin, MD Not visible — 2509 mi
Rehoboth Beach, DE Not visible — 2513 mi
Ocean City, MD Not visible — 2517 mi
Cape May, NJ Not visible — 2520 mi
Ocean City, NJ Not visible — 2535 mi

Where to look

A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.

10° 56° T+10s T+5m 10s SE S SW
From Lompoc, CA: rises T+10s in the W, peaks 56°.
10° 43° T+10s T+5m 10s SE S SW
From Vandenberg Village, CA: rises T+10s in the SW, peaks 43°.
10° 35° T+10s T+5m 10s SE S
From Orcutt, CA: rises T+10s in the SSW, peaks 35°.

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Before you go

Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink Group 15-23 launch FAQ

When is the Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink Group 15-23 launch date and time?

Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink Group 15-23 is currently targeting Sep 2, 2026, 7:46 AM UTC / Sep 2, 2026, 3:46 AM Eastern / Sep 2, 2026, 12:46 AM Pacific. Status: Go for Launch. Launch dates slip often; the countdown on this page tracks the latest target, or set a free alert to get the final time.

Where does Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink Group 15-23 launch from?

From Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA, operated by SpaceX. If you are within a few hundred miles, the city-by-city table on this page shows the expected view from your area and which direction to look.

How far away can you see the Falcon 9 Block 5 Starlink Group 15-23 launch?

Roughly 305 miles with clear skies: within about 89 miles of the pad the rocket clears the horizon in the first half-minute, and by T+90 seconds it is high enough to be line-of-sight visible around 305 miles away. Night launches can be visible even farther as the exhaust plume catches sunlight. The visibility map on this page shows the range rings and which cities fall inside them.

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Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated August 30, 2026.