SpaceX is set to launch a secret mission for the U.S. Space Force today, September 10. The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base during a three-hour window starting at 11:37 a.m. EDT (3:37 p.m. GMT / 8:37 a.m. local time) for a mission named USSF-153.
You can watch the launch live through SpaceX’s stream, which begins about 10 minutes before liftoff. This mission is classified, meaning details on its payloads are scarce, and the webcast will likely conclude shortly after the Falcon 9’s first stage returns to Earth, landing on a SpaceX drone ship in the Pacific Ocean about 8.5 minutes post-launch.
While specifics about USSF-153 remain undisclosed, it may involve “a batch of classified low Earth orbit satellites” based on the launch’s parameters. The mission could utilize SpaceX’s Starshield satellite platform to support U.S. national security efforts, leveraging the Starlink technology for this purpose.
Today’s launch marks the 104th Falcon 9 mission in 2026, with a majority of this year’s flights dedicated to expanding the Starlink constellation, which currently has over 11,000 active satellites. This mission will be the 27th flight for this particular Falcon 9 booster, which is closing in on the operational record of 37 flights set by another booster last month.
