SpaceX and ULA Prepare for Double Launch Night on Space Coast
While SpaceX has carried out most of the launches this year, it is joining forces with United Launch Alliance for a rare double launch event that could tie the annual record for orbital missions from Florida’s Space Coast.
Two Rockets, One Evening
Both a SpaceX Falcon 9 and a ULA Atlas V are poised for liftoff less than two miles apart at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, creating a busy evening for launch enthusiasts.
- SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the Starlink 6-81 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 during a window from 6:08 to 10:08 p.m., carrying 29 Starlink satellites. The booster, on its fifth flight, will attempt to land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
- ULA Atlas V will follow with the ViaSat-3 F2 mission from Space Launch Complex 41 at 10:24 p.m., within a 44-minute launch window.
Weather and Future Plans
“Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron says there’s a better than 95% chance for good launch conditions for both missions.”
Following this mission, all remaining eleven Atlas V rockets are allocated to Amazon’s Project Kuiper or Boeing’s Starliner program. If both rockets lift off successfully, it would mark the 93rd orbital launch of the year, equaling the Space Coast record set in 2024.
Author’s Summary
SpaceX and ULA’s synchronized launches aim to match the Space Coast’s annual record, underscoring a year of unprecedented collaboration and launch activity at Cape Canaveral.