SpaceX launches classified mystery mission for US Space Force from California (video)

For the third time this month, SpaceX has sent a national security mission to orbit.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the USSF-385 mission for the U.S. Space Force launched from California's foggy Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT; 7:00 a.m. local California time).

The rocket's first stage came back to Earth as planned 8.5 minutes later, touching down in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." It was the 10th launch and landing for this particular booster, which is designated 1100.

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A SpaceX rocket rises out of the clouds and fog during a classified launch to space. — SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket rises above the clouds during the USSF-385 launch. (Image credit: SpaceX)

We don't know much about USSF-385; its payloads, and their activities, are classified. We don't even know exactly where it's headed. SpaceX cut off its launch webcast shortly after booster touchdown, as it usually does on national security missions. (Generally, the company keeps its streams going through payload deployment.)

This was the third Space Force flight in the past 16 days for SpaceX. Falcon 9s also launched the classified USSF-153 and USSF-259 missions from Vandenberg on Sept. 10 and Sept. 16, respectively.

The Falcon 9 has now flown 108 times in 2026. The vast majority of these missions — 75% of them — have been dedicated to building out SpaceX's Starlink broadband constellation, which currently consists of more than 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.

The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rests on the deck of a drone ship shortly after launching the USSF-385 mission for the U.S. Space Force on Sept. 26, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Previous Booster 1100 missions

NROL-105 | 8 Starlink missions

SpaceX has also launched two flights apiece of its Falcon Heavy and Starship rockets so far this year. And it's gearing up for the third Starship launch of 2026, which is scheduled to take place Monday morning (Sept. 28) during a 75-minute window that opens at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT).

This test flight, which you can watch here at Space.com, is a big one for the Starship program and for SpaceX overall. Starship will attempt to reach orbit, something the megarocket has never done before.

Michael Wall is the Spaceflight and Tech Editor for Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers human and robotic spaceflight, military space, and exoplanets, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.