World News Update: SpaceX launches USSF-385 from Vandenberg, California; Falcon 9 booster lands on droneship

Launch: Falcon 9 USSF-385 (after liftoff)

Rocket

SpaceX Falcon 9

Launch site

Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E), Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

Time (CT)

Liftoff at 9:01 a.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 26 (T-0 9:00:54 a.m. CT; 7:00 a.m. PT). SpaceX posted “Liftoff!” at 9:01 a.m. CT.

Result

Successful liftoff; first stage landed. SpaceX has not reported on payload deployment.

Cargo

Classified national-security payload for the U.S. Space Force; details not released.

Booster

B1100, reused, on its 10th flight (it previously launched NROL-95 and eight Starlink missions). Landed successfully on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific at about 9:10 a.m. CT; SpaceX confirmed the landing on X at 9:10 a.m. CT.

Our view Another step toward Mars: this booster has now flown and landed 10 times, the kind of rapid reuse SpaceX is pushing further with Starship, the fully reusable rocket it is building to carry people to Mars.

Before liftoff: our earlier World News Update on the USSF-385 launch

World news this morning

• Russian attacks kill four across Ukraine; Ukrainian drones hit Russia's Krasnodar region Two women died in Zaporizhzhia and two people were killed in Sumy, officials said, The Associated Press reported. A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Krasnodar region killed three people and wounded two, its governor said, and Russia's Defense Ministry said its strike on Kyiv damaged a data center supporting cellphone internet and Starlink service. Zelenskyy said Ukraine hit the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar overnight. (AP via ABC News, RBC-Ukraine)
• Iran still waiting on a formal U.S. answer to its seven-day Hormuz plan The U.S. government has not publicly responded; a U.S. official told Al Jazeera Washington is in no hurry and sees itself in a strong position on the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said it has redirected 122 commercial vessels to enforce the blockade of Iran, and the White House had yet to expand on President Trump's overnight “Trump Strait” post, AP reported. (Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera (live), AP via WTOP)
• Gulf council condemns Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi strongly condemned the Houthi attacks aimed at Riyadh and Khamis Mushait, and Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad Al Alimi announced a general mobilization against the Houthis, The National reported. (The National)

Earlier: the full 6 AM World Brief