Follow FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team for Cape Canaveral news and updates at floridatoday.com/space
Brevard Space Coast launch sites rockets spaceX ULA NASA
A quick look at which rockets lift off from various Brevard launch sites.
This year, officials expect Florida’s Space Coast — home of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — to break the freshly established 2023 annual record of 72 orbital rocket launches, with SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 accounting for most of the missions.
Following is the list of 2024 launches thus far from Cape Canaveral:
1. Ovzon-3
An Ovzon-3 communications satellite launched from a SpaceX Falcon 9 at 6:04 p.m. Jan. 3 from CCSFS Launch Complex 40.
Ovzon-3: SpaceX Ovzon-3 satellite mission marks first launch from Space Coast during 2024
2. SpaceX Starlink 6-35
SpaceX launched a batch of Starlink internet-beaming satellites aboard a Falcon 9 at 5:35 p.m. Jan. 7 from CCSFS Launch Complex 40. Note: Liftoff occurred just eight hours and 43 minutes before the historic United Launch Alliance Vulcan launch.
Starlink 6-35: ULA Vulcan rocket launches without delay on history-making maiden flight from Cape Canaveral
3. ULA Vulcan Cert-1 maiden flight
United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan rocket flew its first certification mission at 2:18 a.m. Jan. 8 from KSC pad 39A.
Cert-1: ULA Vulcan rocket launches without delay on history-making maiden flight from Cape Canaveral
4. SpaceX Starlink 6-37
SpaceX launched a batch of Starlink internet-beaming satellites aboard a Falcon 9 at 8:52 p.m. Jan. 14 from CCSFS Launch Complex 40.
Starlink 6-37: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket Sunday; Axiom Space crewed mission is up next on Wednesday
5. Ax-3 crewed mission
Axiom Space sent its third crew of private astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 at 4:49 p.m. Jan. 18 from KSC pad 39A.
Ax-3: Ax-3 mission lifts 4 European private astronauts for International Space Station rendezvous
For the latest launch updates and news from the Cape, follow FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team at visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
