Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Thursday, Aug. 28, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on the Starlink 10-11 mission, which featured a record-breaking 30th booster flight.
Original story: Insomniacs and night owls, take note: SpaceX is now targeting 4:12 a.m. Thursday to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage of this morning’s SpaceX Starlink 10-11 mission. The Falcon 9 will climb to the northeast from pad 39A and deploy a payload of 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicted 85% odds of “go for launch” weather, with cumulus clouds pushing in from the Gulf Stream posing the sole threat.
No Brevard County sonic booms should occur. Rather, the rocket’s first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship out at sea about eight minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands, sets new record
Update 4:20 a.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just touched down atop SpaceX’s drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
“Falcon 9’s first stage lands on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship – the first orbital class rocket to successfully launch and land 30 times!” a SpaceX tweet said.
Liftoff!
Update 4:12 a.m.: Liftoff! SpaceX has just launched the Falcon 9 carrying 28 Starlink satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX rocket launch webcast begins
Update 4:07 a.m.: SpaceX’s launch webcast is now posted above, right below our countdown clock.
Liftoff is scheduled in five minutes from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX Falcon 9 post-launch key events
Update 4:01 a.m.: Following is SpaceX’s minute-by-minute timeline of key Falcon 9 events after liftoff:
Florida rocket launches, tonnage deployed keeps rising
Update 3:50 a.m.: During the Aug. 22 Space Coast Symposium at the Radisson Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral, Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long delivered a presentation showing how launch activity keeps rising on Florida’s Space Coast:
SpaceX rocket fueling is now underway
Update 3:41 a.m.: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40, billowing water vapor indicates.
That means the Starlink mission countdown is locked in to lift off at 4:12 a.m. without any delays, or else this morning’s launch must be postponed to a later date.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch countdown
Update 3:30 a.m.: Here’s a rundown of SpaceX’s upcoming behind-the-scenes Falcon 9 launch countdown timeline. T-minus:
SpaceX launch to be 73rd of year from Space Coast
Update 3:20 a.m.: SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch will clock in as the 73rd orbital rocket launch thus far during 2025 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Click here for the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team’s updating tally listing all of this year’s missions, complete with photo galleries and story links.
SpaceX rocket booster to make record 30th flight
Update 3:10 a.m.: This morning’s mission will mark the Falcon 9 first-stage booster’s 30th flight, SpaceX reported.
This booster previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A and 18 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, crews expect the booster to land on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes, 22 seconds after liftoff.
The booster set a SpaceX record on July 2 by logging its 29th flight, the Starlink 10-25 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX: Starlink now connecting more than 7 million people
Update 2:57 p.m.: In a Wednesday night tweet, Starlink officials announced the high-speed internet system is now connecting more than 7 million people across about 150 countries, territories and other markets.
SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard
Update 2:50 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency’s launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch.
As a reminder, this morning’s SpaceX four-hour launch window opened at 1:27 a.m. and extends until 5:27 a.m.
NASA KSC weather channel shows heavy rain to north
Update 2:42 a.m.: NASA’s KSC weather channel radar shows heavy rainfall has recently swept offshore from the Daytona Beach/Holly Hill area about 40 miles north of pad 39A.
That’s where the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory until 2 a.m. after 1 to 2½ inches of rain fell between Holly Hill and Ormond Beach — with up to three more inches expected.
Space Force launch weather forecast details
Update 2:33 a.m.: More information from the narrative of that 45th Weather Squadron forecast:
“The persistent frontal boundary draped across the Florida peninsula has proved to beunimpressive in the overnight/early morning hours … ” the forecast said.
” … The front is expected to hang out through Friday before dissipating in advance of another weather system that is expected to push in over the holiday weekend. Most of the thunderstorm activity will be confined along the sea breeze both Thursday and Friday afternoon, with most of the activity petering out by the late evening hours,” the forecast said.
For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launch recap: Live updates from Starlink mission with record 30th booster landing
Reporting by Rick Neale, Florida Today / Florida Today
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