SpaceX kicked off a five-launch stretch from Florida’s Space Coast with the Starlink 6-90 mission, carrying 29 satellites and marking the booster’s 16th flight. Up to four more launches are possible Dec. 15–19, including two additional SpaceX Starlink missions and a ULA Atlas V 551 launching 27 Amazon Kuiper satellites. The surge helped push combined Cape Canaveral and Kennedy launches to a record 106 this year. Launch windows and timings remain subject to change.
SpaceX Kicks Off Five-Launch Stretch From Florida’s Space Coast — Starlink And Kuiper Join A Busy Week
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are fueling a hectic run of launches from Florida’s Space Coast, beginning with SpaceX’s Starlink 6-90 mission on Thursday evening. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:01 p.m., carrying 29 Starlink internet satellites.
The rocket’s first-stage booster completed its 16th flight and successfully touched down on the droneship A Shortfall Of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. That liftoff also set a quick-turn record at SLC-40, occurring just 2 days, 2 hours and 44 minutes after the Dec. 9 NROL-77 mission.
What’s Next On The Manifest
The pads will be quiet for a few days before another surge of activity from Sunday night through early Friday, Dec. 19, when up to four more launches are possible — including a stretch in which three missions could fly within roughly 15 hours from Sunday into Monday.
Starlink 6-82 (Dec. 15, SLC-40): SpaceX plans to return to SLC-40 for this mission, which will carry 29 Starlink satellites. The booster slated for this flight will be making its ninth trip and is expected to attempt a downrange landing on A Shortfall Of Gravitas. The launch window runs from 9:43 p.m. to 1:43 a.m. ET.
Amazon Kuiper / Amazon LEO 4 (Early Dec. 16, Atlas V 551): ULA intends to launch an Atlas V in the 551 configuration during a window opening at 3:52 a.m. ET, deploying 27 Amazon Kuiper satellites. This will be Amazon’s seventh operational Kuiper launch and its fourth with ULA, bringing the Kuiper constellation to 180 satellites of the planned 3,236 required by July 2029.
Starlink 6-99 (Dec. 16, Launch Pad 39A): Later Monday morning, SpaceX is scheduled to launch another 29 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A. The launch window runs from 8:11 a.m. to 12:11 p.m. ET. Its first-stage booster will be flying for the sixth time and is expected to attempt recovery on the droneship Just Read The Instructions in the Atlantic.
Starlink 6-88 (Midnight Dec. 19, SLC-40): Rounding out the week is a Falcon 9 carrying 29 Starlink satellites from SLC-40. The midnight window (12:00 a.m.–3:17 a.m. ET) will feature a booster on its first flight, with a planned downrange recovery on A Shortfall Of Gravitas.
Context And Milestones
With Thursday’s launch included, SpaceX, ULA and Blue Origin have combined to launch 106 orbital missions from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station or Kennedy Space Center so far this year, surpassing the previous record of 93 set in early November. SpaceX has flown the vast majority of those missions, with ULA and Blue Origin contributing several launches.
Last month the three companies set another Space Coast milestone by launching four missions from four different pads within a 34-hour span — a sequence that began with Blue Origin’s NG-2 and ULA’s ViaSat-3 F2 on Nov. 13 and continued with two SpaceX Starlink missions from SLC-40 and Pad 39A on Nov. 14–15.
SpaceX has launched more than 3,000 Starlink satellites this year and over 10,000 total since its first operational deployment in 2019, with more than 9,000 currently on orbit. The coming days will add further satellites to the growing broadband constellation as commercial and government launch activity remains high on the Space Coast.
Note: Launch dates and windows are subject to change due to range constraints, weather, and vehicle readiness. Check official updates from SpaceX and ULA for the latest timing.
