Rocket launch today: Is there a rocket launch and what time?
Follow Space.com's rocket launch blog for the latest on when the next rocket launch will be and how to follow it live.
SpaceX Falcon 9 launching SpainSat NG-1
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a a Spanish communications satellite, SpainSat NG-1, into a geostationary transfer orbit, as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Pacis 3 project. The mission will liftoff from Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A), at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, during a two-hour window that opens at 8:34 p.m. EST (0134 GMT on Jan. 30).
The Falcon 9 booster, which previously supported missions HAKUTO M1 and CRS-27, among others, will not be recovered due to the orbital requirements of this mission, SpaceX wrote in an overview. SpaceX will webcast the launch live beginning about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch on the company's website and on the social media network X.
Watch Live: SpaceX rocket launches next-gen SpainSat NG 1 satellite into orbit
Blue Origin New Shepard NS-29
Update: Blue Origin scrubbed the launch of NS-29 at 12:55, Jan. 28, due to unfavorable weather and an issue with the New Shepard launch vehicle's avionics. The company did not announce when the next launch attempt will take place.
The countdown for Blue Origin's NS-29 entered an unscheduled hold at 11:20, with the mission clock stopped at T-0:10:00. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the company said they were awaiting results from a weather balloon before moving ahead. "We’ve been tracking a thick cloud deck over West Texas," the post said. Watch the launch live on the Space.com homepage, or on YouTube, courtesy of Blue Origin.
Indian Space Research Organization — GSLV Mk II: IRNSS (NavIC)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch a GPS satellite, known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), aboard a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk II) rocket. The mission will liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 7:53 p.m. ET (2453 GMT). Watch the launch live, beginning at 7:20 p.m. ET (2420 GMT), here.
Blue Origin New Shepard NS-29 'moon gravity' launch, and more
Blue Origin will launch its first suborbital rocket launch of 2025 today — and attempt a wild spin trick to mimic the moon's gravity during the flight.
The uncrewed New Shepard rocket will launch the NS-29 mission no earlier than 11:30 a.m. EST (10:30 a.m. CST/1630 GMT) from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in West Texas. The mission will launch 30 different experiments, most of them for NASA, aimed at testing moon-related technologies. Watch the launch on Space.com, courtesy of Blue Origin's livestream, which will begin about 15 minutes before liftoff. Read more: What time is Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket 'moon gravity' launch today? Here's how to watch live
Also flying today, Colorado-based Boom Supersonic's XB-1 test vehicle is scheduled to takeoff on its 12th test flight from California's Mojave Air & Space Port today at around 11:00 a.m. EST (1600 GMT; 8 a.m. local California time). If all goes well, the piloted demonstration will exceed Mach 1 — the speed of sound — about 25 minutes later. Boom will webcast the mission live via its website beginning at 10:45 a.m. EST (1545 GMT). If the company makes the stream available on YouTube, Space.com will carry it. Read more: Boom Supersonic to break sound barrier during historic test flight today: Watch live
SpaceX Starlink satellite fleet launch today
SpaceX is kicking of the week with an afternoon Falcon 9 launch today from its Space Launch Complex 40 pad Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff is set for 5:05 p.m. EST (2205 GMT), the company said in a statement.
SpaceX has until 6:21 p.m. EST (2321 GMT) to launch the Starlink mission, called Starlink 12-7, which will carry 21 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit, 13 of them capable of "direct-to-cell" communications.
The Falcon 9 rocket first stage on this mission is making its 20th flight. It previously flew 10 different Starlink missions, eight different commercial satellite missions and a NASA cargo mission to the International Space Station.
SpaceX does have a backup launch window available on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 2:50 p.m. EST (1950 GMT) to launch the mission.
Jan. 24: SpaceX launches 11th Falcon 9 of 2025
Blink and you miss it sometimes, space fans!
SpaceX launched 23 of its Starlink satellites this morning at 9:07 a.m. ET (1407 GMT or 6:07 a.m. PT) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The flight marked SpaceX's 11th Falcon 9 flight of the year so far and saw the rocket's first stage booster return for a landing on the company's Of Course I Still Love You drone ship nearby in the Pacific Ocean. It was the company's 401st successful rocket recovery to date.
Read more: SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites on 11th Falcon 9 rocket of 2025 (video)
Next SpaceX launch on Jan. 24
The next rocket launch for January 2025 will be a SpaceX Starlink mission to launch a new clutch of Starlink V2 Mini internet sastellites into low Earth orbit.
The Starlink 11-6 mission is expected to launch on Jan. 24 from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. LIftff is set for 8:54 a.m. EST (5:54 a.m. PST/1354 GMT).
The launch will mark SpaceX's third flight of the week. The company launched back to back Starlink flights on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
SpaceX launched 21 Starlink satellites into orbit at 12:24 a.m. EST on Tuesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and then followed it 10 hours later with the launch of 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg at 10:45 a.m. EST.
JAN. 19: SpaceX delays Starlink launch to Jan. 20
SpaceX had aimed to launch 27 of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Jan. 19). It stood down from that try, however, after halting the countdown clock 11 seconds before liftoff due to a plane entering the launch's airspace.
The mission is now targeted to launch Monday (Jan. 20), during a four-hour window that opens at 10:13 a.m. EST (1513 GMT).
Jan. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 launching Starlink satellites today
SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket today carrying 27 Starlink internet satellites in the company's first launch since its Starship Flight 7 test flight. The mission is dubbed as SpaceX's Starlink 11-8. flight
The Falcon 9 will lift off Jan. 18 at 12:03 p.m. EST (1703 GMT/9:03 a.m. PT) from SpaceX's pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The Falcon 9 first stage on this mission is making its 10th flight. It previously launched seven Starlink missions, the OneWeb 4 mission and the USSF-62 flight for the U.S. Space Force.
A webcast will begin on SpaceX's X account and Starlink mission webpage about five minutes before liftoff.
Jan. 16: SpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 7 today
SpaceX is aiming for another try to launch Starship Flight 7 today.
After standing down from previous launch dates, SpaceX has another launch window scheduled to open at 5 p.m. ET (2200 GMT or 4 p.m. local time) to launch Starship on its seventh flight test.
As on Starship's two previous test flights, SpaceX will attempt to catch the rocket's Super Heavy booster with the "chopstick" arms on its launch tower. The company also made a number of developmental hardware changes to this Starship vehicle based on previous tests, and will deploy ten Starlink satellite simulators while the upper stage is in flight.
Watch Starship Flight 7 launch live on Space.com today courtesy of SpaceX. SpaceX's livestream should begin about 30 minutes before the launch window opens, around 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT). Follow our Starship live blog for more updates as launch time approaches.
Blue Origin launches New Glenn on 1st flight
Blue Origin successfully launched its first New Glenn rocket into orbit at 2:03 a.m. EST (0703 GMT) on Friday, Jan. 16 in a critical test flight of the massive rocket.
The company also attempted to land the first stage of the 320-foot tall New Glenn rocket on the landing barge Jackyln during the test flight, but the landing attempt was not successful.
"We didn't have booster landing, but man we got close," Blue Origin's Ariane Cornell said after the launch. "We collected so much data."
The rocket landing was not a requirement for the the NG-1 test, which was primarily aimed at reaching orbit with its Blue Ring Pathfinder prototype payload, a goal the rocket appears to have achieved smoothly.
The New Glenn upper stage and Blue Ring Pathfinder are expected to fly a six-hour flight in orbit before intentionally burning up in Earth's atmosphere. You can follow the mission live online at Blue Origin's mission page and on X.
Next up: SpaceX's Starship Flight 7
The next rocket launch on the schedule is SpaceX's massive Starship, which is set to launch its Starship Flight 7 test flight today, Jan. 16, at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) from SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas.
NEW Launch Time: Blue Origin's 1st New Glenn launch now at 2:03 am ET
Blue Origin is now targeting 2:03 a.m. EST (0703 GMT) for today's launch of its first New Glenn rocket.
You can watch the launch LIVE here.
Blue Origin plans to launch New Glenn at 1:35 a.m. ET today (Jan. 16)
Blue Origin has pushed the planned launch of its New Glenn rocket back by 35 minutes, to 1:35 a.m. EST (0635 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com.
Jan. 15: SpaceX set to launch Starship Flight 7 today
SpaceX could make history again today.
SpaceX is set to launch the Starship Flight 7 mission at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) today (Jan. 15) from the company's Starbase facility in South Texas.
SpaceX plans to attempt to catch the rocket's huge Super Heavy booster at its launch site today. The company was able to do so on Flight 5 in October 2024, but was unable to do so on Starship Flight 6 a month later.
You can watch the Starship Flight 7 launch live on Space.com today courtesy of SpaceX. SpaceX's livestream is expected to begin about 30 minutes before the launch window opens, around 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT). Follow our Starship live blog for more updates as launch time approaches.
SpaceX launches 2 private moon landers
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two private moon landers — Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience — from Florida's Space Coast in the early morning hours of Jan. 15, 2025. Read our launch story here.
Jan. 14: SpaceX launching Transporter-12 rideshare mission
SpaceX plans to launch over 100 payloads today on a rideshare mission.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch the Transporter-12 mission at 1:49 p.m. ET (1849 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. On board will be 131 different small payloads including 30 that will be attached to orbital transfer vehicles that will release them at a different date and orbit.
This will be only the second launch and landing attempt for this particular booster, which previously flew on the NROL-126 mission for the U.S. government in November 2024. After releasing its payloads, the first stage booster will attempt to land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Watch live via SpaceX.com or the company's X account.
Blue Origin now targeting Jan. 16 for 1st New Glenn launch
Blue Origin announced on Monday evening (Jan. 13) that it's now targeting early Thursday morning (Jan. 16) for the debut launch of its powerful New Glenn rocket — two days later than the previous "no earlier than" date. The launch is scheduled to occur during a three-hour window that opens at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT).
Blue Origin targeting early Jan. 14 for New Glenn launch
Blue Origin announced on Monday evening (Jan. 13) that it's targeting early Tuesday morning (Jan. 14) for the debut launch of its New Glenn heavy lifter. The launch is scheduled during a three-hour window that opens at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT).
Jan. 13: SpaceX Falcon 9 launching 21 Starlink satellites
SpaceX is lining up another launch of its Starlink satellites from Florida today.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to take off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday (Jan. 13) during a 3.5-hour window that open at 10:08 a.m. EST (1508 GMT). Flying aboard the rocket will be 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 that include SpaceX's new direct-to-cell capability.
The first stage booster flying today's mission has flown 14 previous missions including two private missions to the ISS for Houston-based Axiom Space, an ISS resupply mission and eight other Starlink flights, according to a SpaceX mission description.
If all goes according to plan, the booster will come down for a landing aboard one of SpaceX's robotic drone ships, A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be waiting nearby in the Atlantic Ocean. Watch the action live via SpaceX.com or via X. Coverage should begin about five minutes before liftoff.
Blue Origin scrubs debut New Glenn launch due to rocket issue
SCRUB! Blue Origin scrubbed the planned Jan. 13 launch of its first New Glenn rocket due to a technical issue. The company has not yet announced a new target date.
NEW LAUNCH TIME: Blue Origin targets 3:15 am ET for New Glenn launch
Blue Origin is now targeting 3:15 am ET (0815 GMT) for the launch of its first New Glenn rocket. Today's launch window closes at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT).
You can watch the launch LIVE here.
Blue Origin is now targeting 2:48 am ET (0748 GMT) for the launch of its first New Glenn rocket. Today's launch window closes at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT).
Blue Origin is now targeting 2:07 am ET (0707 GMT) for the launch of its first New Glenn rocket. Today's launch window closes at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT).
Blue Origin is now targeting 1:52am ET (0652 GMT) for the launch of its first New Glenn rocket. Today's launch window closes at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT).
Blue Origin is now targeting 1:30 am ET (0630 GMT) for the launch of its first New Glenn rocket. The test flight has a three-hour launch window, so could launch anytime between 1:30 am ET and 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT).
Blue Origin fueling New Glenn for launch
Blue Origin is proceeding with fueling its New Glenn rocket for tonight's debut launch of the huge new launch vehicle. You can watch the launch LIVE here at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT).
New Glenn is still scheduled to launch at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) early Monday, Jan. 13, from Space Launch Complex 36 of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Blue Origin is watching offshore weahter to ensure good conditions to attempt to land New Glenn's first stage on a barge at sea.
Blue Orgin New Glenn watches weather, SpaceX Starship delay
Blue Origin is watching the weather off shore today as it prepares for an overnight launch of its first New Glenn rocket, which is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Monday, Jan. 13.
Blue Origin hopes to land first stage of the the 320-foot New Glenn rocket on a landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean during the test flight, but requires good weather at sea for the attempt.
Starship Fight 7 launch now Jan. 15
SpaceX has also delayed its next giant rocket launch. The company announced late last night that it is now targeting no earlier than Wednesday, Jan. 15, for the launch of its Starship Flight 7 test flight. Liftoff time is still set for 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas.
The company did not give a reason for the delay, which is two days later than Flight 7's initial Jan. 13 launch target.
Starship Flight 7 will now launch on the same day as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying two private moon landers from Florida. That mission, called Ghost Riders In The Sky, will launch the Blue Ghost moon lander for Firefly Aerospace as part of a NASA commercial lunar payload mission, as well as the Japanese company ispace's Resilience moon lander.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled fo 1:11 a.m. EST (0611 GMT) on Jan. 15 from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
DELAY: Blue Origin's 1st New Glenn to launch Jan. 13
Blue Origin has pushed the launch of its first New Glenn rocket back by another 24 hours to no earlier than Monday, Jan. 13, at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) due to unsteady seas at the landing zone in the Atlantic Ocean for the rocket's first stage.
"Sea state conditions are still unfavorable for booster landing. We're shifting our NG-1 launch date by one day to no earlier than January 13. Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Monday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC)," Blue Origin officials wrote in an update today.
The delay is the second due to rough seas for landing the New Glenn first stage on Blue Origin's barge Jacklyn.
The one-day slip for New Glenn means Blue Origin will now launch its huge new rocket on the same day rival SpaceX aims to launch its megarocket Starship Flight 7 test flight from South Texas. Liftoff of SpaceX's Starship is set for 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT).
Follow our Starship Flight 7 live updates for more coverage.
Jan. 13: Blue Origin New Glenn launch
Blue Origin is once again on track to launch its first New Glenn rocket, with liftoff set early Sunday, Jan. 12, at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The New Glenn NG-1 launch will be the first-ever flight of the new heavy-lift rocket. It is Blue Origin's first orbital class rocket to fly. The mission should last about six hours.
Blue Origin delayed a planned Jan. 10 launch for New Glenn due to rough weather offshore, which could impact the landing attempt of the rocket's reusable first stage on the landing barge Jacklyn. However, the company appears ready to try for launch.
A weather forecast from the U.S. Space Force predicts the odds of good weather at launch time as between 85% and 95%.
You can watch Blue Origin's New Glenn launch live online, beginning about one hour before launch time at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT).
SpaceX Starship Flight 7 test
SpaceX is two days away from the launch of its Flight 7 Starship test flight, which is scheduled to lift off on Monday, Jan. 13, at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) from the company's Starbase facility in South Texas near Boca Chica Beach.
On Friday, Jan. 10, the company conducted a fueling test of the nearly 11 million pounds of liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellant the giant megarocket needs for flight.
Flight 7 will test a new version of Starship with 25% more propellant, avionics and flight computer upgrades and and new heat shield and fligth control improvements. The mission will also test the first reflown Raptor engine on the first stage and the attempt to deploy 10 simulated Starlink satellites.
Starship and Super Heavy loaded with nearly 11 million pounds of propellant in a launch rehearsal ahead of the seventh flight test pic.twitter.com/aSWDcEGAznJanuary 11, 2025
Jan. 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching 21 Starlink satellites today
SpaceX has been busy in the new year already, and is keeping up the pace with a planned launch of its Starlink satellites today.
A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida during a 70-minute window that opens at 1:05 p.m. ET (1805 GMT) on Friday (Jan. 10).
SpaceX will be sending 21 Starlink satellites to orbit on the flight, including 13 with the company's new Direct to Cell capabilities, enabling mobile devices to connect directly to the ever-growing broadband satellite megaconstellation without other hardware.
This mission will be the 25th flight and 14th Starlink mission for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously flew two astronaut missions to the ISS, two ISS resupply runs, and a score of commercial missions. SpaceX will attempt to land the first stage booster on its Just Read the Instructions droneship, waiting nearby in the Atlantic Ocean.
You can watch the launch live on SpaceX's website or through its X account. A livestream should begin about five minutes before liftoff.
Jan. 9: SpaceX launching NRO spysat tonight, New Glenn delay
Hey, Space Fans! It's only been a day since SpaceX launched 21 Starlink satellites on the Starlink 12-11 mission and the company is already counting down to a new launch.
Today, Jan. 9, SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the classified NROL-153 payload from Space Launch Complex 4 East at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is set for 7:52 p.m. PST (10:52 p.m. EST, 0352 Jan. 10 GMT).
NROL-153 will mark SpaceX's first national security flight of 2025 and its fourth mission of the year. It will launch a classified satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. A backup launch date is available on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7:34 p.m. PST (10:34 p.m. EST, 0334 GMT).
This launch will be the 22nd flight for the Falcon 9 first stage boster on the mission. The rocket is expected to land on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean about 8 minutes after liftoff.
Blue Origin New Glenn Launch Delayed to Jan. 12
Blue Origin's highly anticipated New Glenn launch debut, scheduled for overnight tonight at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) from Florida, has been delayed to no earlier than Sunday, Jan. 12, due to bad weather at sea. That's means a delay of at least two days.
"We're shifting our NG-1 launch date to no earlier than January 12 due to a high sea state in the Atlantic where we hope to land our booster. Our three-hour window remains the same, opening Sunday at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC)," Blue Origin wrote in a mission update on X today.
Jan. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching Starlink
Today's rocket launch is official: SpaceX is launching its second Starlink mission of 2025.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 21 Starlink satellites into orbit today at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 GMT) from the company's pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You'll be able to watch the launch live via SpaceX's Starlink mission page and the @SpaceX X account.
The Starlink 12-11 mission will launch 21 Starlink satellites, 13 of them with direct-to-mobile phone capability to orbit from Launch Complex 39A at the NASA space center. Backup launch windows are available through 2:17 p.m. EST (1917 GMT) today, with more available on Thusday, Jan. 9, starting at 9:59 a.m. EST (1459 GMT).
Today's Starlink mission will mark the third flight for the Falcon 9 first tage on the flight. The rocket previously launched the GOES-U weather satellite and another Starlink flight. It is expected to land offshore on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall Of Gravitas.
Next rocket launch on Jan. 8
SpaceX successfully launched its first Starlink mission of 2025 on Monday, Jan. 6, but it's next flight could lift off in just two days.
The next rocket launch on our schedule is SpaceX's Starlink 12-11 launch, which is expected to fly on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 10:24 a.m. EST (1524 GMT) from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX has not yet announced the launh, but Spaceflight Now and other launch trackers have it as pending.
Blue Origin, meanwhile, has announced that its first New Glenn rocket will launch on Friday, Jan. 10, at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on its debut flight. The mission, called NG-1, is a serving as a qualification flight for national security missions on the new rocket.
SpaceX is also expected to launch its Starship Flight 7 test flight as early as Jan. 10, but that date could slip into the weekend.
Jan. 5: SpaceX's 1st Starlink launch of 2025 set for today
SpaceX's first Starlink satellite launch is set for today, kicking off what should be another busy year for the broadband internet megaconstellation.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is poised to launch 24 Starlink satellites today (Jan. 6) during a three-hour window that opens at 12:21 p.m. ET (1721 GMT). The rocket will take off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A backup window is available on Tuesday (Jan. 7).
This flight will be the 17th time this first stage booster has launched. It previously flew on the Crew-5 astronaut mission to the ISS for NASA, a space station resupply mission, a GPS satellite launch for the U.S. Space Force, and nine other Starlink launches. After it sends its second stage to orbit, the booster will attempt to land on SpaceX's Just Read the Instructions droneship, stationed nearby in the Atlantic Ocean.
You can watch the launch live on SpaceX's mission page and on the @SpaceX X site.
Jan. 3: SpaceX's 1st launch of 2025 officially tonight
SpaceX's first launch of 2025 is officially on track to launch tonight, Friday, Jan. 3, to kick off an ambitious year for the company. A Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Thuraya 4 commnunications satellite mission for the UAE company Space42 and Yahsat, which is part of Space42.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket is set for 8:27 p.m. EST (0127 Jan. 4 GMT) from Space Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. SpaceX has a 4-hour window in which to launch the mission, so it could lift off as late as 12:27 a.m. EST (0527 GMT). A backup launch date is available on Saturday night (Jan. 4), SpaceX says.
You'll be able to watch the launch live on SpaceX's Thuraya 4 mission page and on the @SpaceX X site.
While this is SpaceX's 1st launch of 2025, it's not the first flight for the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage. The booster will make its 20th launch and landing on this mission, and is expected to land just over 8 minutes after launch on SpaceX's drone ship A Shortfall Of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX Thuraya 4 launch now NET Jan. 3
The first SpaceX launch of 2025 is now tentatively set for no earlier than Friday, Jan. 3, at 8:27 p.m. EST (0127 GMT on Jan. 4) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida according to Spaceflight Now. That's one day later than previously expected based on a Launch Weather Forecast from the 45th Space Wing and U.S. Space Force.
SpaceX has not yet listed the launch on its launch schedule, so stay tuned for any new launch date updates.
Next launch on Jan. 2: SpaceX Falcon 9
With SpaceX's successful Dec. 30 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, the launch year for 2024 is all wrapped up. So let's look ahead to the first launches of 2025 for your planning. I've sourced these launch dates from rocket watches across the internet, including Spaceflight Now and others.
Next Launch:
The next rocket launch will be a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled to launch on Jan. 2. The mission will launch the Thuraya 4 communications satellite for the United Arab Emirates company Yahsat. Liftoff is set for 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT), so that means it is an overnight launch. Call it some late New Year's Ever rocket launch fireworks.
SpaceX Starlink launch on Jan. 5: SpaceX is also expected to launch its next Starlink satellite mission on Jan. 5 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:10 p.m. EST (1710 GMT).
Blue Origin New Glenn launch on Jan. 6? Blue Origin's first New Glenn rocket is assembled and nearly ready for its launch debut. Currently, a launch is expected for no earlier than Jan. 6 from Blue Origin's pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, but this scheduled could change as it's a new launch vehicle.
Spacex Starship Flight 7: SpaceX's next Starship test flight is also exppected in early January, possibly on Jan. 10 or Jan. 11 from the company's pad at its Starbase facility in South Texas near Boca Chical beach. The company has typically targeted launches in the early am, but did launch Flight 6 at 5 p.m. ET in November.
So it's going to be a pretty busy start to the 2025 launch year, Space Fans. We'll have our next update to confirm the SpaceX YahSat launch on Jan. 1.
Dec. 31: SpaceX's last Starlink launch of 2024
The next rocket launch we're tracking will be SpaceX's final Falcon 9 launch of the year, a Starlink satellite mission launching from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
That SpaceX Starlink mission is scheduled to launch at 12:39 a.m. EST (0539 GMT) on Monday, Dec. 31. As always, you'll be able to watch it live online at SpaceX's mission website and the SpaceX X page.
SpaceX's Starlink 12-6 mission will launch 21 Starlink satellites into orbit and mark the company's 134th Falcon rocket launch of the year. It will be the 16th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster on the flight.
India successfully launches SpaDeX docking test flight
The India Space Research Organisation has successfully launched its twin Space Docking Experiment satellites to kick off a first-ever docking test for the country.
The launch occurred on time at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT), though it was 10 p.m. Monday evening at its Satish Dhawan Space Centre launch site. Read our full updated wrap story.
Dec. 30: India Space Docking Experiment launch today
India's Space Docking Experiment is just about 30 minutes from liftoff as the Indian Space Research Organisation prepares for its final launch of 2024.
Liftoff is set for 11:30 a.m. EST (10 p.m. IST, 1630 GMT) from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre. You'll be able to watch it live online via YouTube here.
Dec. 29: SpaceX delays Starlink launch, New India launch time
SpaceX's planned Starlink satellite launch at midnight tonight has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 31.
The Starlink 12-6 mission was scheduled to launch 21 Starlink satellites into orbit from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT). However, SpaceX has changed the time. It will now launch on Dec. 31 at 12:34 a.m. EDT (0534 GMT), with a backup launch time available at 1:28 a.m. EST (0628 GMT).
That means the next rocket launch will now be the Space Docking Experiment launch by India on Monday, Dec. 30. That mission also has a slightly new launch time.
The India Space Research Organisation will launch the two-satellite SpaDeX mission, as it's called, at 11:30 a.m. EST (10 p.m. IST, 1630 GMT). That's 2 minutes later than the previously announced launch time.
"Tonight at precisely 10:00:15 PM, PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads are set for liftoff," ISRO officials wrote on the social media site X. SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) is a pioneering mission to establish India's capability in orbital docking, a key technology for future human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions."
🎉 Launch Day is Here! 🚀Tonight at precisely 10:00:15 PM, PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads are set for liftoff.SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) is a pioneering mission to establish India's capability in orbital docking, a key technology for future human… pic.twitter.com/147ywcLP0fDecember 30, 2024
Dec. 29: SpaceX's last launch of 2024!
SpaceX will close out its 2024 launch schedule overnight tonight with its third launch in 3 days, this time to launch 21 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit.
"Up next, Falcon 9 is set to lift off from pad 39A in Florida for our final launch of 2024," SpaceX wrote on X.
SpaceX's last launch of the year is scheduled to lift off early Monday, Dec. 30, at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT). You can watch the launch on SpaceX's X account and mission page starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
The Starlink mission, called Starlink 12-6, will off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. It will be the 16th launch for the Falcon 9 rocket first stage ooster on the mission. Backup launch windows are availale at 3:28 a.m. EST (0828 GMT) and on Dec. 31 at 12 a.m. EST.
The next launch after SpaceX's Starlink will be anIndian Space Research Organisation Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which is scheduled to launch on Monday, Dec. 30, at 11:28 a.m. EST (9:58 p.m. IST, 1628 GMT). It will fly the SpaDeX mission to test autonomous rendezvous and docking technology, and is also carrying 24 other science payloads for ISRO, universities and companies aboard its Poem-4 module.
Dec. 28: SpaceX launching 2 rockets today
SpaceX is planning two rocket launches in the next 12 hours, one from California and the other from Florida.
The first launch is a Falcon 9 rocket launching Saturday, Dec. 28, from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 5:48 p.m. PST (8:48 EST, 0148 GMT). You can watch the launch on SpaceX's X account and mission page starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
This mission, called Starlink 11-3, will launch 22 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit for SpaceX's growing megaconstellation. It will be the 16th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage on the mission, with SpaceX hoping to recover the stage by landing it on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You shortly after launch. Previous missions include 12 Starlnk launches, a Transporter-11 rideshare flightthe SARah-2 and SDA-0A satellite missions.
The second launch by SpaceX will actually launch on Sunday, Dec. 29, but the liftoff time is at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT), a midnight launch for the flight. You can watch the launch on SpaceX's X account and mission page starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.
This mission is called the "Astranis: From One to Many" and will launch four small "MicroGEO" communications satellites to provide connectivity on Earth for a variety of customers. Two satellites will provide in-flight connectivity for clients of Colorado-based Anuvu, one will serve a customer in the Philippines, and Astranis will use the fourth satellite as a so-called "UtilitySat for different clients.
This is SpaceX's second attempt to launch the Astranis mission. A Dec. 21 launch try ended in an abort at the T-0 mark.
That's it for the rocket launches scheduled for today.
NOTE: SpaceX is also planning to launch another 21 Starlink satellites, this time from Florida, on Monday, Dec. 30, at 12 a.m. EST, so we'll have an update on that one tomorrow. ALSO: An Indian Space Research Organisation Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is scheduled to launch the new SpaDeX to test autonomous rendezvous and docking technology. It is also carrying 24 other science payloads for ISRO, universities and companies aboard its Poem-4 module. ISRO's SpaDeX is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 30, at 11:28 a.m. EST (9:58 p.m. IST, 1628 GMT).
