A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a Starlink payload lifted off from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A at 10:39 p.m. on Nov. 20, marking Florida's 100th orbital rocket launch of 2025. The milestone follows a record week on the Space Coast and caps a year of rapidly increasing flight activity. Officials plan 100–120 launches in 2026 and project the region could support up to 300 launches annually by 2035–2040, with agencies coordinating to handle the operational surge.
SpaceX Launch Sends Florida Past 100 Orbital Rockets in 2025 — Space Coast Hits Triple-Digit Milestone
A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a Starlink payload lifted off from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A at 10:39 p.m. on Nov. 20, marking Florida's 100th orbital rocket launch of 2025. The milestone follows a record week on the Space Coast and caps a year of rapidly increasing flight activity. Officials plan 100–120 launches in 2026 and project the region could support up to 300 launches annually by 2035–2040, with agencies coordinating to handle the operational surge.
03:24 PM, 11/21/2025Science
With 41 days remaining in 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a Starlink payload lifted off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 10:39 p.m. on Nov. 20, becoming Florida's 100th orbital rocket launch of the year.
The nighttime liftoff punched through a low fog as the booster thundered into the sky — a vivid symbol of the accelerating launch cadence on the Space Coast.
"We are breaking records across the board," said Col. Brian Chatman, commander of Space Launch Delta 45. "100 launches is a complete game changer on the Space Coast. We’re identifying efficiencies, getting additional mass to orbit — it couldn’t be a more exciting time to be out here."
Florida set a new weekly launch record just days earlier and, for the first time, reached a triple-digit annual total from the Space Coast. Chatman noted the regional significance of the milestone, adding that — when excluding launches from Vandenberg — the Space Coast has outpaced most other regions this year.
Reaching 100 launches took slightly longer than some officials forecast a year earlier. In early 2024, predictions anticipated well over 100 missions, but that pace was delayed by a busy hurricane season and two temporary groundings of the Falcon 9 as SpaceX investigated an upper-stage anomaly and a failed booster landing. Even with those setbacks, 2024 still recorded 93 launches, up from 72 in 2023.
"During the shuttle years, they dreamed of 100 flights a year," said Robert Taylor, an emeritus space history professor at Florida Tech. He noted that, less than a decade ago, 30 to 40 launches annually was considered a strong year for Florida. "Right now, rockets are leading the way. Wernher von Braun would be a happy man."
Looking ahead
Officials say the growth shows no sign of slowing. The Space Force is planning between 100 and 120 launches for 2026, and many partners expect the Space Coast to again surpass the 100-launch mark next year. With new providers and larger vehicles coming online, projections for 2035–2040 suggest the region could handle as many as 300 launches in a single year.
Space Launch Delta 45, Space Florida, federal agencies and Kennedy Space Center are coordinating closely to manage the operational and logistical challenges of a much higher launch tempo, from range scheduling and tracking to payload processing and public safety.
By Brooke Edwards