SpaceX launched their 41st mission of 2025 this evening from Cape Canaveral when the company sent the Starlink 6-78 mission to low Earth orbit aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 11:07 PM EDT and into clear but hazy skies skies on a seasonal night here on the Space Coast.
SpaceX launched Falcon 9 carrying the classified NROL-69 “Hummingbird” payload this afternoon from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 1:48 PM ET under sunny, hazy skies.
Some eight minutes and twenty-two seconds later, Booster B1092 finished its shift by returning to base at Landing Zone 1, a mere 5.6 miles away from the launch pad. A sonic boom heralded its arrival to the Space Coast.
Despite the 45th Weather Squadron forecasting 90% GO conditions yesterday, today’s launch seemed to be on the edge of acceptable launch conditions, as several times SpaceX commentators mentioned that the company was keeping an eye on the skies. Fortunately, the weather held, and the rocket flew on time at the start of the launch window.
Given that the payload is classified, information about this flight, such as the destination orbit, was not given. “Up there, thataway” is as accurate as any other unofficial description.
It’s classified. Those that know aren’t saying, and those that are saying don’t know.
A Starlink launch is on the dock, this time Group 6-80 from SLC-40 at CCSFS.
| Mission | Starlink Group 6-80 |
| Launch Window Opens | Sunday, March 30, 2025, 3:16 PM EDT |
| Launch Window Closes | Sunday, March 30, 2025, 7:45 PM EDT |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Space Launch Complex 40 |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Status | Awaiting Confirmation |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | Deployment of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system. |
SpaceX and NROL are planning to launch the classified NROL-69 payload today during the mid-afternoon local time. Liftoff is currently scheduled for 1:42 PM ET, with the launch window open until 2:24 PM later the same day. At T+ 8m22s, the Falcon 9 booster used for the flight will return to land at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, and a sonic boom will reverberate through the Space Coast region afterwards.
| Mission | NROL-69 |
| Launch Window Opens | 1:42 PM EDT |
| Launch Window Closes | 2:24 PM EDT |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Launch Site | Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Destination | Classified |
| Mission Description | Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office |
Assuming a 1:42 PM ET liftoff, here is the sequence of events for the day:
| Event | Time After Liftoff | Clock Time (EDT) |
| Max Q (Maximum Aerodynamic Pressure) | 00:01:07 | 1:43:07 PM |
| 1st Stage Main Engine Cutoff (MECO) | 00:02:14 | 1:44:14 PM |
| 1st and 2nd Stages Separation | 00:02:17 | 1:44:17 PM |
| 2nd Stage Engine Start (SES-1) | 00:02:25 | 1:44:25 PM |
| Boostback Burn Start | 00:02:31 | 1:44:31 PM |
| Fairing Deployment | 00:03:07 | 1:45:07 PM |
| Boostback Burn End | 00:03:25 | 1:45:25 PM |
| 1st Stage Entry Burn Start | 00:06:37 | 1:48:37 PM |
| 1st Stage Entry Burn End | 00:06:58 | 1:48:58 PM |
| 1st Stage Landing Burn Start | 00:07:50 | 1:49:50 PM |
| 2nd Stage Engine Cutoff (SECO-1) | 00:08:21 | 1:50:21 PM |
| 1st Stage Landing | 00:08:22 | 1:50:22 PM |
The anticipated trajectory for this launch is northeastward.
The US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 is calling for conditions to be 90% GO during the launch window.
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: NROL-69. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
The best options are available for spectators: Jetty Park, the Banana River Bridge on FL 528 W or the southern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets. Playalinda Beach will also be open, but be sure to go early if that is your plan.
If you are interested in watching the landing, your best bet is Jetty Park. If the launch is what you’re after, the southern Titusville parks or the Banana River Bridge on 528W is where to go.
The Space Bar will be open through the launch window. New York New York in Titusville will be open to roughly 7 PM, and is a great place to watch as well. Restaurants in Port Canaveral, specifically Gators Dockside, Fishlips and Grills Seafood should have good views after the rocket clears obstructions.
Cocoa Beach or the Cocoa Beach Pier area is also very good, but ignition won’t be visible and it will take several seconds for the rocket to clear obstructions between the launch pad and viewers.
The long journey of Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and the Boeing Starliner mission is finally near its end: If everything goes according to plan, one of the most talked about journeys in American spaceflight will come to an end with a splashdown tomorrow evening somewhere off the coast of Florida.
NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, concluding an unexpectedly extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The deorbit burn is scheduled for approximately 5:11 p.m. EDT, with splashdown anticipated around 5:57 p.m. EDT off the coast of Florida.
Wilmore and Williams launched to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, initially slated for what was described an eight-day mission. However, technical issues with the Starliner, including thruster malfunctions and a helium system leak, rendered it unsafe for their return. Consequently, the spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed, leaving the astronauts on Station for an extended period.
As a result of the unexpected issues with Starliner, NASA chose to add Wilmore and Williams to the ISS Expedition 71/72 roster. Both astronauts remained active and engaged throughout their prolonged mission, contributing significantly to the station’s objectives, with Williams taking command of ISS itself during her stay. The pair participated in over 150 experiments and observed various Earth phenomena from their unique vantage point. Despite the unforeseen extension, both maintained a positive outlook and never publicly complained about their unexpectedly long mission.
SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, launched on September 28, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40. This mission was notable for being the first crewed launch from this particular complex. The Crew-9 spacecraft, named Freedom, carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS, leaving behind NASA’s three-time space shuttle astronaut Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman, with both being reassigned to unspecified future missions.
For its part, Crew 9 also experienced several delays prior to launch, primarily due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft and scheduling conflicts with other missions on ISS. Originally planned for mid-August 2024, the launch was postponed to late September to accommodate these challenges.
The arrival of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission on March 16, 2025, marked a significant milestone in facilitating the return of Wilmore and Williams. The Crew-10 spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, successfully docked with the ISS, allowing for a seamless transition of responsibilities.
The docking occurred at 12:04 a.m. EDT, followed by hatch opening at 1:35 a.m. EDT. The new crew members were warmly welcomed aboard, with the station’s population temporarily increasing to 11. This handover period ensured continuity of operations and allowed Wilmore and Williams to brief their replacements before their departure.
Following the arrival of Crew-10, preparations for the return of Wilmore and Williams intensified. The Crew-9 spacecraft underwent thorough checks to ensure its readiness for re-entry and landing. Both astronauts expressed cautious excitement about returning home, acknowledging the inherent risks associated with re-entry but also their eagerness to reunite with family and resume life on Earth.
The extended stay of Wilmore and Williams garnered attention beyond the aerospace community. Public figures, including former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, commented on the situation, with Musk referring to the upcoming return mission as a “rescue” operation.
However, both NASA and the astronauts refuted the notion that they were stranded in space or abandoned, emphasizing that their extended stay was a result of technical challenges and not political decisions. This set off a political firestorm, the intensity of which is rarely seen that involves spaceflight and NASA.
As the deorbit burn approaches, scheduled for approximately 5:11 p.m. EDT, mission teams are closely monitoring weather conditions and spacecraft systems to ensure a safe re-entry and landing. The splashdown is anticipated around 5:57 p.m. EDT off the coast of Florida, where recovery teams will be stationed to assist the returning astronauts.
In a press release today, NASA said that they and SpaceX met on Sunday, March 16th, to assess weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast for the return of the agency’s Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers are targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of Tuesday, March 18. The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week.
NASA will provide live coverage of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the International Space Station, beginning with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT Monday, March 17.
The successful end of the Crew 9 astronauts will finally end a long and controversial mission, and one that NASA surely hopes will never be repeated.
It was a good day to have a good day here in Florida, and that’s exactly what NASA, SpaceX and Crew 10 had today at Kennedy Space Center.
Falcon 9 lifted off, carrying three astronauts and one cosmonaut toward orbit and the International Space Station just as the sun was starting to set in the west. Some seven and a half minutes later, SpaceX booster B1090 completed its duty for the day by landing at LZ-1 in Cape Canaveral, 8.8 miles south of LC-39A.
The FAA released a statement today announcing the draft results of an Environmental Assessment for more than doubling the allowable launch operations at SpaceX’s facility at Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral starting in 2026. The assessment also contains information on the construction and operation of a landing zone at SLC-40 with up to 34 first-stage booster landings at the new landing zone annually.
The document outlines a Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
Talk of Titusville first reported on SpaceX’s plans to build a new landing zone at SLC-40 in January of this year. In 2023, the 2-pad launch site has been allocated to Cocoa, Florida based Vaya Space and also Phantom Space through the Department of the Air Force’s Launch Pad Allocation Strategy (LPAS), a program designed to support the commercial space market and demand at the Eastern Range.
The FAA is posting for public review a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing the SpaceX proposal to increase Falcon 9 operations from 50 to up to 120 per year from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Draft EA also reviews the construction of a first-stage booster landing zone at the site with up to 34 landings per year.
In order to meet the Department of the Air Force (DAF) National Environmental Policy Act requirements, the FAA has also posted a link to the Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for public comment on behalf of DAF.
A virtual public meeting will be held on April 16 and the public comment period closes on April 24, 2025.
That assessment can be found here:
In it some preliminary conclusions are found:
“The FAA has preliminarily concluded that the Proposed Action would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment.”
[The FAA has preliminarily concluded that] “the Proposed Action is not expected to contribute in any substantive 17 manner to adverse cumulative effects to supplies of natural resources or energy use.”
“Cumulative effects of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions with the Proposed 13 Action would not contribute a noticeable incremental effect from hazardous materials and waste.”
“Reasonably foreseeable future actions in the area, such as SLS launches at LC-39B, may require temporary closures of both the refuge and the seashore by USFWS and NPS. These temporary closures are related to crowd control and access for emergency services and are not related to a public safety hazard from a launch. If any such closures were to occur, they would be both infrequent and temporary in nature. As a result, the cumulative effects of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions with the Proposed Action are not expected to result in a significant impact to [publicly owned park and recreation areas that are open to the general public.] resources.”
“The Proposed Action would not result in significant adverse cumulative land use impacts.”
“There would be no significant cumulative effects to coastal resources.”
“Several of the projects [..] include construction and development in both undisturbed and 37 previously disturbed areas. Disturbance to existing launch areas or other developed and semi-developed 38 The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Cumulative Effects Draft Environmental Assessment 4-10 March 2025 Falcon 9 Operations at SLC-40 sites would have little effect on wildlife because these areas have limited habitat value.”
“The Proposed 1 Action and some of the actions in Table 4-2 involve clearing of native upland habitat. Some of the actions 2 in Table 4-2 could also potentially involve clearing and/or filling of a limited amount of wetland habitat. 3 The Proposed Action would not directly affect wetlands; potential impacts would consist of 4 construction -related sedimentation from runoff.”
“Cumulative loss and fragmentation of native upland and 5 wetland habitats may cause long-term effects on wildlife breeding, roosting, or foraging, particularly of 6 individuals with limited mobility and those without corridors to another suitable habitat. Construction 7 noise and general disturbance could cause similar impacts, but the effects would be temporary.”
A virtual public meeting will be held on April 16 and the public comment period closes on April 24, 2025.
The FAA invites interested parties to submit comments on the Draft EA. Instructions on how to submit comments can be found on the FAA webpage linked here:
https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/SpaceX_Falcon_SLC_40_EA.
Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the Draft EA by April 24, 2025.
The FAA will hold a virtual public meeting on the Draft EA on April 16, 2025, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Eastern). Interested parties must register to join the virtual public meeting. Registration is now available at the link below.
RegistrationLink:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8qtN8bzPS1eApVobqo8poA
Dial-in phone number: 888-788-0099 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 853 9161 5696
Passcode: 743444
If any accommodation for public meeting is needed (such as additional translation services), please submit a request by April 4, 2025 to SpaceXFalconSLC40@icf.com.
It wasn’t the launch we wanted, but it was a launch that we needed after the disappointment of Crew 10 scrubbing earlier in the evening last night: SpaceX launched Starlink with another batch of 21 Starlink satellites from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Wednesday evening. Liftoff was at 10:35 PM ET, with Falcon 9 taking the southeasterly familiar path towards The Bahamas as has been the case with all other Starlink Group 20 launches. The mission was successful.
After multiple delays, Falcon 9 finally flew from SLC-40, ending a rare dry spell of launches from the Eastern Range. This mission was initially delayed for checkouts after an issue with Falcon 9 booster B1086 and Starlink 12-20. On that mission, the booster experienced a fuel leak and was destroyed by fire shortly after landing on March 2 and SpaceX spent time reviewing data from that event and also making sure it would not repeat itself during last night’s flight.
High winds at ground level scrubbed a launch attempt on Monday. SpaceX announced an attempt but did not fuel the Falcon 9 used for Starlink12-21 on Tuesday, following the launch of NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base and also because of the then-upcoming launch of Crew-10 (which was delayed last night after a hydraulic issue on the launch pad.)
After completing its part in the ascent of the mission, booster B1069 landed successfull on ASDS A Shortfall Of Gravitas after its 22nd flight. There have no reports of a repetition of the issue that ended B1086’s lifetime. ASOG and B1069 will now travel to Port Canaveral where the booster will be unloaded, transported to SpaceX’s refurbishment facility at Kennedy Space Center and ostensibly prepared for its next flight at some future date.
Some days you’re the bug, other days you’re the windshield.
The scheduled Wednesday launch of the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station was scrubbed last night with a little more than forty six minutes left on the countdown clock. The delay stemmed from a malfunction in the hydraulic system of a ground support clamp arm attached to the Falcon 9 rocket, located at SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The crew—comprising NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov—departed the Dragon spacecraft following the cancellation and will remain in Florida for the time being awaiting a new launch window.
The earliest rescheduled launch window is now set for no sooner than Friday, March 14th at 7:06 PM ET in an instantaneous window. That date is dependant on remediations of the hydraulic issue at the launch pad. At this time, the Falcon 9 vehicle itself and the Crew Dragon the astronauts will fly aboard is in good condition.
Weatherwise, the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron has not released a new Launch Mission Execution forecast for tomorrow. General forecasts for the Cape are showing a minimal chance of rain with easterly winds between 5-10 MPH with gusts not being a great deal higher than that. Keep in mind that the general forecasts do not consider launch criteria and cover much larger area than the ascent corridor at and above LC-39A, so the 45th may have a different outlook on the probability of acceptable conditions.
Another consideration will be winds and seas along the ascent corridor. That must be within acceptable conditions. Reliable forecasts for winds at the altitudes Falcon 9 will be at are not available at this time. Bottom line: wait for the 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast to draw any conclusions about weather conditions for the launch.
Should the Crew-10 mission proceed on March 14, the preceding Crew-9 team—consisting of NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—would undock from the space station NET Tuesday, March 18. That timeline remains contingent on suitable weather conditions at the designated splashdown zones off Florida’s coast and may change over the next few days.
Eric Schmidt, renowned for his tenure as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011, is now the Chief Executive Officer of Relativity Space. Schmidt has also infused capital into the cash-starved company, giving it life and the means to finish its Terran-R medium lift rocket. That rocket is planned to fly from Cape Canaveral as early as next year.
Déjà vu all over again: SpaceX launched another 21 Starlink satellites from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this evening. Liftoff was at 9:24 PM EST, with Falcon 9 taking the southeasterly familiar path towards The Bahamas as has been the case with all other Starlink Group 20 launches.
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