SpaceX Aims For Sunday Launch From Kennedy Space Center
SpaceX is targeting Sunday, Dec. 7, for the Falcon 9 Starlink 6-92 mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch window runs four hours, with liftoff expected from Launch Pad 39A between 4:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.
Mission Overview
The Falcon 9 will carry 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit on a southeasterly trajectory. This flight is listed as the 104th orbital rocket launch of the year from Florida's Space Coast, further extending the region's recent launch achievements (the previous annual benchmark was 93 launches in 2024).
Booster And Recovery
SpaceX reports the first-stage booster assigned to this mission will be flying for the 32nd time. That booster previously supported missions including CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, SES O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A and about 20 earlier Starlink flights. After stage separation, the booster will attempt a touchdown on the autonomous drone ship Just Read The Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.
Weather
The National Weather Service forecasts a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Sunday at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Conditions are expected to be mostly cloudy with a high near 79°F and east-northeast winds of 5 to 10 mph, shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.
Live Coverage And What’s Next
FLORIDA TODAY's space team will provide live launch coverage at floridatoday.com/space, beginning about 90 minutes before the launch window opens. Looking ahead, SpaceX has the NROL-77 national security mission scheduled for liftoff at 2:16 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9. That classified Falcon 9 flight—conducted for the Space Force's Space Systems Command in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office—is expected to produce sonic booms across parts of Brevard County.
For the latest updates from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit FLORIDA TODAY’s space section.
Reporting: Rick Neale, Space Reporter, FLORIDA TODAY. Contact: Rneale@floridatoday.com • Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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