Florida’s Space Coast hosted a whopping 48 orbital rocket launches in the first six months of this year. The question: Will the home of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station break the 100-launch barrier by Dec. 31?
By comparison, last year saw a record 72 orbital launches, setting a new annual record that looks set to be short-lived.
This year, SpaceX has accounted for 45 of the first 48 Space Coast launches through the end of June. United Launch Alliance sent the other three rockets: the first Vulcan on its certification mission on January 8, the last Delta IV Heavy on April 9 in the NROL-70 mission, and the first mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5.
Following are the latest missions coming out of Cape Canaveral. All launches are listed in Eastern Daylight Time. Please note: dates and times are routinely subject to change for various reasons.
Cape Canaveral:Florida rocket launches: Here’s an updated list of all Space Coast missions for 2024.
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY space reporter Rick Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. For more space news, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Wednesday, July 3: SpaceX Starlink 8-9
Although SpaceX has not publicly confirmed that launch, another 4½-hour window on the Starlink mission opens early Wednesday morning, warnings from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration show.
- Mission: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will deploy another batch of Starlink internet broadcasting satellites, which are packed into the fairing atop the 230-foot-tall rocket.
- Launch window: 2:01 am to 6:31 am
- location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Trajectory: Northeast.
- Live Streaming: Starts 90 minutes before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Monday, July 8: SpaceX Türksat 6A
Although SpaceX has not yet announced this mission, Turkish media and the Space Coast Tourism Office are reporting that the Türksat 6A satellite will be launched on Monday afternoon.
- Mission: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will deploy Turkey’s first domestically manufactured geostationary communications satellite, the Space Coast Tourism Office reports.
- Launch: 5:20 p.m
- location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Live Streaming: Starts 90 minutes before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Tuesday, July 30: United Launch Alliance USSF-51
- Mission: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the classified USSF-51 mission for the Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
- Launch window: TBA
- location: Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Live Streaming: Starts 90 minutes before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Early August: SpaceX resupply mission to ISS
- Mission: NASA, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX plan to launch the Cygnus spacecraft on a resupply mission to the International Space Station in early August.
- Launch window: TBA
- location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Live Streaming: Starts 90 minutes before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
TBA: SpaceX Polaris Dawn
- Mission: Shift4 founder and entrepreneur Jared Isaacman will once again command a SpaceX Dragon orbital mission. This mission will bring the debut of the SpaceX EVA (extravehicular activity) suit, as well as the first spacewalk by a private company.
- Launch window: TBA.
- location: TBA.
- Live Streaming: It starts two hours before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Thursday, October 10: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Europa Clipper
- Mission: NASA’s Europa Clipper is a solar-powered spacecraft designed to conduct the first detailed studies of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
- Launch: TBA.
- location: Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
- Live Streaming: It starts two hours before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
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