Florida's Space Coast could set a new annual launch record this weekend if ULA's Atlas V and SpaceX's Falcon 9 both fly as planned, producing an unprecedented 94th liftoff. Blue Origin also aims to fly New Glenn Sunday with NASA's ESCAPADE probes bound for Mars' magnetosphere. Industry leaders credit reusable Falcon 9 boosters for enabling the rapid cadence, while new investments like Stoke Space's $510 million raise point to still more activity and local economic growth. Workforce programs are expanding to meet the demand.
Florida's Space Coast Poised to Smash Annual Rocket-Launch Record This Weekend
Florida's Space Coast could set a new annual launch record this weekend if ULA's Atlas V and SpaceX's Falcon 9 both fly as planned, producing an unprecedented 94th liftoff. Blue Origin also aims to fly New Glenn Sunday with NASA's ESCAPADE probes bound for Mars' magnetosphere. Industry leaders credit reusable Falcon 9 boosters for enabling the rapid cadence, while new investments like Stoke Space's $510 million raise point to still more activity and local economic growth. Workforce programs are expanding to meet the demand.
02:19, 07.11.2025Technology
Florida's Space Coast poised for another record weekend
The annual orbital launch record on Florida's Space Coast is set to be broken for the fourth consecutive year, with an unprecedented 94th liftoff likely to take place this weekend if scheduled missions succeed.
After a scrub Wednesday night, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is slated to retry an Atlas V carrying the ViaSat-3 satellite tonight at 10:16 p.m.. That mission would match the region's most recent single-year record of 93 launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
If ULA succeeds, the milestone 94th launch is expected on Saturday, Nov. 8, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to loft 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit during a four-hour window from 3:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. The Falcon 9 would lift from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
Topping the weekend, Blue Origin is targeting Sunday, Nov. 9, for the second New Glenn flight, carrying NASA's twin ESCAPADE probes to study Mars' magnetosphere. That launch window runs from 2:45 p.m. to 5:11 p.m. from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Why the surge?
Industry leaders point to reusable rockets as the primary driver of rapid launch cadence. SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stages routinely return to land or touchdown on drone ships, enabling refurbishment and reflight. Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX's Vice President of Launch, told The Economist's Space Economy Summit that reusability has created "a mission cadence that the world has never seen before." He compared the shift to historic transportation revolutions such as railroads and steamships.
"Reusability is what’s enabled this massive cadence," Dontchev said. "Falcon 9 has allowed an entire economy to get built in low-Earth orbit."
Growth and new entrants
The pace is a stark change from 2013, when only 10 launches lifted off from the Cape. Since then, the Space Coast recorded 57 launches in 2022, 72 in 2023, and 93 in 2024. Through this year, Falcon 9s accounted for the vast majority of local missions — officials cited roughly 87 of this year's 92 launches in remarks at the summit — with only five exceptions: Blue Origin's maiden New Glenn flight, three ULA Atlas V launches and one ULA Vulcan mission.
SpaceX also increased activity at Vandenberg Space Force Base, raising Falcon 9 launches from 132 last year to 141 so far this year, with a company target of 165–170 U.S. launches by year-end.
Industry investment and the local economy
New investments suggest launch counts could climb higher. Stoke Space recently raised $510 million to scale production of its planned Nova rocket — featuring reusable first and second stages — and is building facilities at the long-dormant Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral. Stoke CEO Andy Lapsa argued that a mature space-transport economy will require an order-of-magnitude increase in launch interactions to match other logistics sectors.
Local workforce programs are already expanding. Eastern Florida State College added night classes to its aerospace technology program to meet rising demand; program lead Ed Mango said most graduates find jobs immediately with companies including Blue Origin, ASRC Federal and Amentum. Greg Autry, UCF associate provost for space commercialization, predicted that the arrival of larger vehicles such as New Glenn and Starship could multiply annual launches and local economic impact.
Quick facts
- Starlink missions account for about 60 of Florida's launches this year.
- A total of 1,521 satellites have launched from Florida (cumulative figure reported).
- Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral has hosted the majority of liftoffs this year.
What to watch
Watch for ULA's Atlas V attempt tonight at 10:16 p.m.. If it succeeds, expect SpaceX's Falcon 9 Starlink mission during the 3:30–7:30 a.m. window Saturday, and Blue Origin's New Glenn with ESCAPADE during the 2:45–5:11 p.m. window Sunday. Each launch carries technological and economic implications as the Space Coast continues to scale its launch infrastructure and workforce.
For continuing coverage from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center, follow FLORIDA TODAY's space coverage. Article originally reported by Rick Neale, Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.