SpaceX targets Thursday for Cape Canaveral’s second rocket launch of 2026

As a move to further expand its Starlink satellite network, SpaceX is preparing for its second rocket launch of 2026 from Florida’s Space Coast.

The Elon Musk-owned aerospace company is targeting Thursday (January 8) for an afternoon liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The launch window is scheduled to open at 1:29pm and close at 5:29pm local time. If successful, the mission will deploy 29 new Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, further strengthening SpaceX’s growing constellation.

The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster is expected to complete its 29th flight during the mission.

After separation, the booster is planned to land on SpaceX’s drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, positioned in the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of miles southeast of the Cape.

This mission follows the first Space Coast launch of 2026, which took place early Sunday (January 4), when another Falcon 9 rocket successfully carried a batch of 29 Starlink satellites into orbit from the same launch facility.

SpaceX is also lining up another Starlink launch for the weekend. The company is currently targeting Saturday (January 10), with a launch window running from 1:34pm to 5:34pm, again from Cape Canaveral.

According to a recent company update, SpaceX has completed more than 300 Falcon 9 launches to date. 

Its Starlink network now includes over 9,000 satellites and provides high-speed internet to more than 9 million users across over 155 countries and markets worldwide.