United Launch Alliance successfully launched its Vulcan Centaur rocket early Thursday morning, carrying a national security payload for the U.S. Space Force on the USSF-87 mission.
Liftoff occurred at 4:22 AM ET from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, about midway through a two-hour window that opened at 3:30 AM.
On one of those rare nights where it is actually winter on the Space Coast, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying the GPS III SV09 satellite to orbit for the US Space Force. Liftoff was at 11:53 PM ET into clear, chilly skies.
Ascent was normal, with Main Engine Cutoff coming at T+ 02.29 into the mission. As the second stage and payload continued towards orbit, with Booster B1096 completing its fifth mission by landing on SpaceX’s drone ship ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’, which was prepositioned off the coast of the Carolinas. ASOG and the booster will now return to Port Canaveral, where B1096 will be offloaded, returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center where it will be inspected, refurbished and prepared for its next mission.
GPS III Space Vehicle 09 is the ninth of ten upgraded navigation satellites built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Space Force. It offers three times better accuracy and eight times stronger anti-jamming capability compared to older GPS satellites. Military users get the encrypted M-code signal for secure operations, while civilians benefit from the L1C signal that works alongside Europe’s Galileo system.
The satellite is named “Ellison Onizuka” after the Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut lost in the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986—almost exactly 40 years ago. After reaching medium Earth orbit about 90 minutes after liftoff, SV09 will undergo testing before joining the operational GPS constellation.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Mission | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-101 — Go for Launch! |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 01/29/2026 11:00 PM ET |
| Window Closes | Friday, 01/30/2026 3:00 AM ET |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system. |
| Broadcast Start Time | Coverage typically begins ~15 minutes before launch. |
| SpaceX Streaming Coverage | Watch Live on SpaceX.com |
| Spaceflight Now YouTube Coverage |
Watch on YouTube – Spaceflight Now Live Stream
(Coverage begins ~60 minutes before launch) |
As of 6:00 PM Monday January 27, 2026. Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult SpaceX.com for more information.
It’s been a hot minute since the last Falcon 9 launch here on the Eastern Range, or at least it feels that way. Last year saw a Falcon 9 launch from Florida roughly every 3.4 days, and tonight marks the 9th day since the last SpaceX rocket roared off of SLC-40.
That dry spell should end tonight with the launch of the GPS III SV09 mission from Cape Canaveral. The launch window opens at 11:38PM ET and lasts for fifteen minutes.
Falcon 9 booster B1096 will power the mission off of the launch pad, and it is planned to complete its fifth mission when it touches down off the coast of the Carolinas aboard ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas.’ B1096 previously launched KF-01, IMAP, NROL-77, and one Starlink mission.
| Mission | Falcon 9 | GPS III-9 “Ellison Onizuka” |
|---|---|
| Status |
Go for Launch Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 (B1096 — 5th flight) |
| Organization | SpaceX (for U.S. Space Force) |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) |
| Window |
Opens: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 — 11:38 PM ET Closes: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 — 11:53 PM ET (15-minute window)
|
| Countdown |
Loading countdown…
Target: 11:38 PM ET (Window Open)
|
| Destination | Medium Earth Orbit (~20,200 km altitude) |
| Recovery |
First stage landing on drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas (Atlantic Ocean) Touchdown approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff |
| Official Stream | SpaceX Mission Webcast |
| Spaceflight Now |
Spaceflight Now Live Coverage
Coverage begins approximately 60 minutes before liftoff |
| Mission Notes | GPS III Space Vehicle 09 is the ninth of ten GPS III satellites, delivering modernized positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities for the U.S. Space Force. GPS III provides up to 3× better accuracy and 8× improved anti-jamming performance, featuring encrypted M-code for military users and the interoperable L1C civil signal. The satellite is named for Col. Ellison Onizuka, a NASA astronaut lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986. Satellite deployment occurs approximately 90 minutes after liftoff. |
Northeast.
The 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force’s Launch Delta 45 issued their L-1 Launch Mission Execution Forecast yesterday, and it could not be much better, cool temperatures notwithstanding: 95+% Go throughout the launch window:
GPS III Space Vehicle 09 is the ninth of ten upgraded navigation satellites built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Space Force. It offers three times better accuracy and eight times stronger anti-jamming capability compared to older GPS satellites. Military users get the encrypted M-code signal for secure operations, while civilians benefit from the L1C signal that works alongside Europe’s Galileo system.
The satellite is named “Ellison Onizuka” after the Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut lost in the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986—almost exactly 40 years ago. After reaching medium Earth orbit about 90 minutes after liftoff, SV09 will undergo testing before joining the operational GPS constellation.
SpaceX launched a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office on December 9, 2025, aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 02:16:25pm ET into leaden skies, with the rocket quickly behind the clouds, probably much to the delight of NRO. The launch direction was northeast.
At T+08:17s was NROL-77 was in its initial orbit and roughly eleven seconds later, Booster 1096 returned to land safely at LZ-2 inside Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at T+08:28s.
The Department of the Air Force has released its long-awaited Final Environmental Impact Statement for SpaceX’s plan to bring Starship–Super Heavy operations to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The 214-page report, published this week, clears a major hurdle for the company as it pushes to launch and land its next-generation rocket from Space Launch Complex-37.
The proposal would turn the old Delta IV pad into a fully rebuilt launch site capable of hosting up to 76 Starship flights a year. Each mission would include a booster landing just minutes after liftoff and a Starship landing hours—or in some cases years—after launch. In short, the skies above the Space Coast are going to be very busy.
The review concludes that the project would bring no major environmental obstacles across most categories.
Still, two issues stand out: air quality and noise.
The EIS points to significant community annoyance from Starship’s noise and sonic booms, especially during nighttime launches. While the report says structural damage is unlikely, the sound levels will be noticeable across the Space Coast on launch days. SpaceX plans to use heavy sound-suppression systems and coordinate public notifications in advance. Sonic booms from returning boosters and Starship itself will be endemic, day or night.
| Source / Environment | dBA |
|---|---|
| Jet engine at 100′ | 140 |
| Pain Begins | 125 |
| Pneumatic chipper at ear | 120 |
| Chain saw at 3′ | 110 |
| Power mower | 107 |
| Cape Canaveral – Starship/Superheavy Max | 98 |
| Brightline at 100′ | 95 |
| Airpods on 5/10 | 94 |
| Titusville – Starship/Superheavy Max | 93 |
| Cocoa Beach – Starship/Superheavy Max | 92 |
| Rockledge – Starship/Superheavy Max | 90 |
| Level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss | 80-90 |
| City Traffic | 85 |
| Many household appliances | 80 |
| Chamber music, in a small auditorium | 75-85 |
| Vacuum cleaner | 75 |
| Normal conversation | 60-70 |
| Business Office | 60-65 |
| Household refrigerator | 55 |
| Suburban area at night | 40 |
| Whisper | 25 |
| Quiet natural area with no wind | 20 |
| Threshold of hearing | 0 |
Sustained Exposure Hearing Loss: the common benchmark for this threshold is an 8-hour time-weighted average exposure to 85 dBA on a repeated basis. The time exposure for a Starship launch will be measured in minutes.
During operations, the rocket’s emissions are expected to exceed federal insignificance thresholds for nitrogen oxides. The Air Force and SpaceX plan to use an adaptive management strategy, reviewing new data as operations ramp up.
The review found:
| Category | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Traffic | Increases during construction and launch days are manageable. |
| Local Wildlife | Southeastern beach mouse and Florida scrub-jay will be protected through relocation and habitat restoration plans. |
| Water Resources | Wetlands will see construction impacts, but all fall under federal permitting and mitigation requirements. |
| Historic Sites | Expected to remain unaffected, with ongoing monitoring for potential noise-related impacts. |
| Marine Areas | No long-term closures; only short safety zones during launches. |
Source: SpaceX Starship/Superheavy CCSFS Final Environmental Impact Statement (PDF)
Overall, the report concludes that the project can proceed without causing significant long-term environmental harm, provided mitigation measures remain in place.
The Air Force must still issue its Record of Decision, and the FAA will release its own determination before any Starship launches or landings take place at the site. Airspace-closure details are still being finalized, with additional FAA analysis expected. At the same time, this was one of the major hurdles the SpaceX project had to clear on its way to becoming a reality.
When approved, the redevelopment of SLC-37 would position Cape Canaveral as a major operational hub for Starship activity, supporting national security missions, commercial flights, and NASA needs. SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility will work in tandem with the SpaceX Eastern Range facility to support the giant spacecraft.
As a company, SpaceX moves quickly. Once approved, it is unlikely the company will delay construction at LC-37, and once started, the work will proceed rapidly until the facility is ready for its initial use. In Boca Chica, SpaceX has constructed Starship launch and landing facilities in months, as opposed to the multi-year efforts NASA has had with SLS. It is reasonable to expect much the same here in Florida.
Oddly, SLC-37 may not be the first Starship pad to enter service on the Space Coast. Given its construction lead, that distinction is likely to go to LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The FAA is still finalizing its Environmental Impact Study for that facility, but SpaceX has been steadily constructing its Starship launch pad on the KSC site.
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