SpaceX lines up Space Coast’s 88th launch of the year Sunday

The Space Coast could see its 88th orbital launch of the year with another SpaceX Starlink mission on Sunday morning.

A Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-21 mission carrying 29 satellites is targeting liftoff at 10:40 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during launch window that runs through 2:05 p.m.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts an 85% chance for good launch conditions at the opening of the window, which falls to 70% by the end. If delayed a day, those chances range from 80% that slip to 60% through the four-hour window.

The first-stage booster is making its 24th flight and will aim for a recovery landing downrange on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic.

The latest batch of Starlink satellites continues to add to SpaceX’s massive constellation already in orbit.

The company recently surpassed more than 10,000 Starlink satellites launched since the first operational mission in 2019, according to data maintained by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, although only 8,700 of those remain in orbit.

A launch from California on Saturday was SpaceX’s 135th of the year, besting the previous record of 134 launches it had 2024.

For the Space Coast, SpaceX has flown all by five of the missions with United Launch Alliance managing four launches so far this year, and Blue Origin responsible for one. Both ULA and Blue Origin have launches lined up for early November, while SpaceX will try and squeeze one more Falcon 9 launch in before the end of the year.

The Space Coast could surpass the record 93 launches seen in 2024 among all launch providers by mid-November, well on its way to likely surpassing 100 for the year.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/10/26/spacex-lines-up-space-coasts-88th-launch-of-the-year-sunday/