SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from Pad 39‑A at 3:10 a.m. with 29 satellites on the Starlink 10‑51 mission, tying the Space Coast’s annual orbital launch record. The booster completed its 28th flight and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas after a Saturday scrub due to bad weather in the recovery zone. Blue Origin’s New Glenn aims for an afternoon window and, if successful, could push the Space Coast past this year’s mark; together with ULA and SpaceX the region is expected to top 100 launches by year‑end.
SpaceX Ties Space Coast Annual Launch Record as Falcon 9 Delivers 29 Starlink Satellites
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off from Pad 39‑A at 3:10 a.m. with 29 satellites on the Starlink 10‑51 mission, tying the Space Coast’s annual orbital launch record. The booster completed its 28th flight and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas after a Saturday scrub due to bad weather in the recovery zone. Blue Origin’s New Glenn aims for an afternoon window and, if successful, could push the Space Coast past this year’s mark; together with ULA and SpaceX the region is expected to top 100 launches by year‑end.
20:18, 09.11.2025Technology
SpaceX ties Space Coast record with early‑morning Falcon 9 liftoff
After a one‑day delay, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 early Sunday and tied the Space Coast’s annual record for orbital launches. The Starlink 10‑51 mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39‑A at 3:10 a.m., carrying 29 small satellites destined for SpaceX’s internet constellation.
The first stage booster completed its 28th flight and made a successful recovery on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed downrange in the Atlantic. The recovery was delayed by one day after Saturday’s attempt was scrubbed with under a minute to go because of poor weather in the booster recovery area.
Regional launch tallies and what’s next
So far this year there have been 93 orbital launches from the Space Coast. SpaceX has flown all but five of those, matching the region’s annual record. United Launch Alliance accounted for four launches and Blue Origin for one.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn, which debuted in January, is targeting a Sunday afternoon launch window from 2:45–4:13 p.m. If New Glenn reaches orbit as planned, it could push the Space Coast past this year’s record. Combined, SpaceX, ULA and Blue Origin are on track to surpass 100 orbital launches before the end of the year.
Fast reuse and frequent flights continue to reshape the commercial space landscape, with repeated booster recoveries underscoring the drive for lower launch costs and higher cadence.