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    • The 73rd record launch of the year is just around the corner for SpaceX
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    The 73rd record launch of the year is just around the corner for SpaceX

    Kathleen William Posted on

    Scroll down and refresh your phone to receive live updates on the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team launch on this page.

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    It's a record-breaking launch day – Space Coast's unprecedented 73rd orbital rocket of 2024 is about to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station!

    Welcome to the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team's live coverage of today's SpaceX Starlink 10-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink satellite mission from Launch Complex 40 at 5:47 p.m. EDT. This mission will surpass Florida's annual record of 72 orbital rocket launches, set last year and tied this week – with November and December still on the calendar.

    “With the successful launch (Wednesday), SLD 45 has now supported 72 launches here on the #SpaceCoast in 2024, reaching the total number of launches in 2023,” Space Launch Delta 45 officials said in a tweet.

    “Achieving and exceeding previous benchmarks is part of our tactics for space travel in this new era,” the tweet said.

    No sonic booms expected in Central Florida. After the rocket heads into the sky on a northeasterly trajectory, the first booster stage is scheduled to land at sea aboard a SpaceX drone ship just over eight minutes after launch.

    Rocket photography: FLORIDA TODAY's 2025 space launch calendar is here

    Update 5:55 p.m.: The Falcon 9 first stage booster just landed in the Atlantic Ocean aboard SpaceX's Just Read the Instructions drone ship, completing its 19th mission.

    Update 5:47 p.m.: SpaceX just launched the Falcon 9 carrying 22 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 40, marking Florida's 73rd orbital rocket launch of 2024.

    Update 5:42 p.m.: SpaceX's launch webcast, hosted on X (formerly Twitter), is now posted above, just below the countdown clock.

    The launch is scheduled in five minutes from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    Update 5:33 p.m.: No cloud cover is strong enough to appear on this National Weather Service radar loop from the Melbourne Orlando International Airport station.

    The start is planned in 14 minutes from the Cape.

    Update 5:23 p.m.: Today's record-breaking mission marks the 19th flight of the Falcon 9 first stage, SpaceX reported.

    This well-traveled launch vehicle previously launched OneWeb 1, SES 18+19, Eutelsat HOTBIRD-F1, CRS-24 and 14 Starlink missions.

    After stage separation, crews expect the launch vehicle to land on the SpaceX Just Read the Instructions drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes and 13 seconds after liftoff.

    Update 5:13 p.m.: SpaceX just announced that 40 refueling operations for the Falcon 9 are underway at the Launch Complex.

    This means that the countdown for today's Starlink mission is now set and the launch can take place at 5:47 p.m. without delay, otherwise the launch will have to be postponed.

    “There are no weather or technical obstacles to launch,” SpaceX officials said in a tweet.

    Update 5 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch support team ahead of SpaceX's upcoming Falcon 9 launch.

    Update 4:45 p.m.: Here's a look at SpaceX's behind-the-scenes countdown schedule. T-minus:

    • 38 minutes: SpaceX launch director confirms “launch” for fuel load.
    • 35 minutes: Loading of the first stage with rocket kerosene and liquid oxygen begins.
    • 16 minutes: Loading with liquid oxygen of the second stage begins.
    • 7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine cooling before launch.
    • 1 minute: The command flight computer begins the final checks before takeoff. Pressurization of the fuel tank to flight pressure begins.
    • 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director confirms launch is possible.
    • 3 seconds: The engine control commands the start of the engine ignition sequence.
    • 0 seconds: Lift up.

    Update 4:30 p.m.: In an afternoon tweet, Starlink officials noted that the high-speed satellite internet service connected its first paying customer four years ago today.

    “Since then, we have connected over 4 million people, businesses and other organizations around the world to high-speed internet, and for the first time, 4 astronauts have flown around the internet,” the tweet said, referring to the most recently launched SpaceX mission Polaris Dawn Month from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

    Update 4:15 p.m.: This National Weather Service radar loop from the Melbourne Orlando International Airport station shows no significant cloud cover over Florida's east coast, which stretches from St. Augustine to Fort Lauderdale.

    Update 4:01 p.m.: The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron forecast called for a 90% chance of “launch weather” for today's SpaceX Starlink mission.

    “By Saturday, high surface pressure will build over the spaceport from the north, bringing drier air to the entire region. “There may be an isolated shower near the coast in the morning, with dry weather expected in the afternoon,” the squadron’s forecast said.

    “Although shallow cumulus should occur in most areas, there is a small chance of violating the cumulus cloud rule,” the forecast said.

    For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.

    Rick Neale is a space reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

    Space is important to us, which is why we work to bring you the best coverage of the industry and launches in Florida. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

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    Kathleen William
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