Space Coast highlights this week: SpaceX’s Starlink 10‑37 launched Oct. 29 at 12:35 p.m. from LC‑40 as Starlink marked five years of service. A Falcon 9 booster’s return on Nov. 2 produced sonic booms tied to the Bandwagon‑4 mission. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rolled vertical Oct. 29 and completed a brief BE‑4 static fire Oct. 30 ahead of a NET Nov. 8 launch carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE to Mars. With 90 launches logged through October, Florida is positioned to challenge last year’s launch record in early November.
Space Coast Roundup — Starlink 10‑37 Launch, New Glenn Static Fire, Sonic Booms and a Push to Break Florida’s Launch Record (Nov. 3)
Space Coast highlights this week: SpaceX’s Starlink 10‑37 launched Oct. 29 at 12:35 p.m. from LC‑40 as Starlink marked five years of service. A Falcon 9 booster’s return on Nov. 2 produced sonic booms tied to the Bandwagon‑4 mission. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rolled vertical Oct. 29 and completed a brief BE‑4 static fire Oct. 30 ahead of a NET Nov. 8 launch carrying NASA’s ESCAPADE to Mars. With 90 launches logged through October, Florida is positioned to challenge last year’s launch record in early November.
23:01, 03.11.2025Science
Week in Review: Florida’s Space Coast
Launch recap: SpaceX’s Starlink 10‑37 mission lifted off at 12:35 p.m. EDT on Oct. 29 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The flight was one of several high-tempo operations on the Space Coast as the region moves toward a potential new annual launch record.
Starlink milestone
SpaceX and Elon Musk marked a notable anniversary: Starlink recently passed five years of providing satellite internet service to millions of customers worldwide, a milestone highlighted in an Oct. 26 social-media post.
Sonic booms and Bandwagon‑4
Residents near the Cape were alerted to possible sonic booms in the early hours of Sunday, Nov. 2, associated with the descent of a Falcon 9 booster. The Bandwagon‑4 mission’s FAA operations-plan advisory listed a launch window from 1:00 a.m. to 2:03 a.m. on Nov. 2, with a liftoff from LC‑40.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn activity
Blue Origin’s 321‑foot New Glenn rocket drew attention after being rolled vertical on Launch Complex 36 the night of Oct. 29 in preparation for a pad test. Less than 24 hours later, on Oct. 30, New Glenn executed a brief static-fire test of its seven BE‑4 engines. The company set the rocket’s second mission no earlier than (NET) 7 p.m. Nov. 8; that flight is expected to carry NASA’s ESCAPADE mission bound for Mars.
Highlights from Space Beat and science updates
- Our Space Beat YouTube episode discussed newly uncovered evidence of UFO sightings near U.S. nuclear test sites in the 1950s.
- Scientists released the first-ever 3D map of an exoplanet, a milestone for exoplanet characterization.
- SpaceX and Starlink provided assistance to communities affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Florida launch cadence and the race for a record
Florida’s Space Coast recorded 90 orbital launches through the end of October, putting the region on track to surpass last year’s total of 93 launches. United Launch Alliance was positioned to match that 93-launch mark with a planned Nov. 5 liftoff, while SpaceX and Blue Origin also had flights in the schedule that could push the year past the record.
Stay informed: For continuing coverage of launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space or sign up for the weekly Space newsletter.
Reporting by Rick Neale, Space Reporter at Florida Today. Support this journalism with a subscription.