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Florida's 100th Launch: A Record You Can't Ignore

A Historic Milestone for the Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast is set to make history tonight as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbs toward the heavens, marking the 100th orbital launch from the region this year. The record-breaking mission, designated Starlink 6-78, is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 10:39 p.m. EST.

This launch not only signifies a monumental achievement in launch frequency but also shatters the previous record of 93 launches set in 2024. Weather conditions for the four-hour launch window are near-perfect, according to Space Force meteorologists, paving the way for a spectacular nighttime ascent.

  • Record-Breaking Flight: Tonight’s mission is the 100th launch from Florida’s Space Coast in 2025, a new annual record.
  • SpaceX Dominance: The launch marks SpaceX’s 92nd flight of the year from Florida, showcasing the company's commanding lead in the launch industry.
  • Veteran Booster: The Falcon 9 first stage, B1080, will be flying for its 23rd mission, a testament to the success of reusable rocket technology.
  • Expanding the Constellation: The rocket carries 29 Starlink satellites, which will join a network of over 9,000 already in orbit.

A New Era of Launch Cadence

The dramatic increase in launch activity from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is a relatively new phenomenon. Until 2020, the annual launch rate had only surpassed 25 attempts twice in its history. The surge to 100 launches in a single year has been overwhelmingly driven by SpaceX and its partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket, which accounts for over 90 percent of all launches from Florida in 2025.

While SpaceX leads the charge with 92 launches, other players have contributed to this year's total. United Launch Alliance (ULA) has conducted five missions with its Atlas 5 and new Vulcan rockets, while Blue Origin flew its New Glenn rocket twice.

The primary goal of Thursday’s mission is to deliver another batch of 29 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low-Earth orbit. These satellites provide high-speed internet service to millions around the globe.

The workhorse behind the mission is Falcon 9 booster B1080. Having first flown in 2023, this will be its 23rd successful launch and landing. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage will separate and perform a controlled descent, targeting a landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ stationed about 365 miles downrange in the Atlantic Ocean.

The 29 Starlink satellites are expected to be deployed from the rocket's second stage about one hour and five minutes after launch, continuing the rapid expansion of SpaceX's global internet constellation.

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