Space Coast 2025 Launch Roundup: Record Year — 105 Orbital Launches and Major Missions Ahead

The Space Coast surpassed its 2024 record and finished 2025 as one of the busiest orbital launch regions in history. By Dec. 9 the region recorded 105 orbital launches and one hypersonic-missile test, driven largely by SpaceX’s heavy cadence, renewed activity from United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the debut flights of Blue Origin’s New Glenn.

Season Totals (Updated Dec. 9)

2025 totals: 105 orbital launches + 1 hypersonic missile test. Launch sites: 80 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, 25 from Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Providers: SpaceX 98 launches (all Falcon 9), ULA 5 launches (four Atlas V, one Vulcan), Blue Origin 2 New Glenn flights (NG-1, NG-2). Human missions in 2025 included four flights: Crew-10, Fram2, Axiom-4 (Ax-4), and Crew-11.

Notable Highlights and Milestones

• SpaceX milestones: the 500th Falcon 9 launch and the 500th successful booster recovery were both recorded this year, alongside multiple boosters logging 20+ flights and several rapid pad-turnaround records at SLC-40.
• National-security and range activity: multiple NRO and Space Force missions (e.g., NROL-69, NROL-77, USSF-106) flew from the Space Coast. The Army and Navy also conducted a hypersonic-missile test (Dark Eagle) from CCSFS SLC-46.
• Provider developments: ULA returned Atlas V to fly several Amazon Kuiper batches and completed Vulcan certification flights; Blue Origin brought New Glenn into service with successful early flights.

Recent And Near-Term Missions

December missions included several SpaceX Starlink launches and national-security flights. Highlights: Dec. 8 — Starlink 6-92 (29 satellites) launched from KSC Launch Pad 39A; Dec. 9 — NROL-77 launched from SLC-40 carrying a classified NRO payload (mission patch: a flying squirrel). Mid-December windows included additional Starlink flights (6-90, 6-99, 6-82) and a ULA Atlas V Kuiper mission (Amazon Leo 4) carrying 27 satellites in a 551 configuration.

Major TBD And Lunar CLPS Missions

Several high-profile missions remain unscheduled or listed as TBD. Key examples include:

• Vulcan Centaur flights from CCSFS — USSF-87 (GSSAP spacecraft) and Vulcan Leo 1 (Amazon Kuiper, 44 satellites) — awaiting stacking and final launch dates.
• Multiple Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions: Intuitive Machines IM-3 (Nova-C/PRISM) to Reiner Gamma; Blue Origin New Glenn carrying the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander; Firefly/Blue Ghost follow-on missions including low-frequency radio astronomy on the lunar far side; Draper’s lunar lander to Schrödinger basin; Astrobotic’s Griffin on Falcon Heavy; and others from commercial providers.
• Human missions: NASA’s Artemis II remains targeted within a Feb. 5–April 2026 window for a 10-day crewed lunar orbital flight from Pad 39B. Artemis III (crewed lunar landing) is still planned no earlier than summer 2027. Boeing’s Starliner-1 was updated as an uncrewed Atlas V mission in the near term.

What This Means For Viewers And The Region

The concentration of launches on the Space Coast underscores the region’s vital role in the global launch ecosystem. Schedules remain fluid: vehicle certifications, maritime recovery conditions and payload readiness frequently shift windows. For day-of details, consult official notices from launch providers and the U.S. Space Force range before planning travel or viewing.

Sources: Provider manifests, U.S. Space Force range announcements and mission briefings through Dec. 9, 2025.