SpaceX Ends Florida Falcon 9 Starlink Flights After 29-Satellite Mission, Shifting to Starship
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Aug 26
SpaceX Ends Florida Falcon 9 Starlink Flights After 29-Satellite Mission, Shifting to Starship
3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Aug 26
Summary
A Falcon 9 carrying 29 Starlink satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 5:33 a.m. EDT, marking SpaceX’s last Florida Starlink mission on the rocket.
The flight was Falcon 9’s 100th mission of 2026, and its first-stage booster flew for a record 37th time, underscoring the reuse pace Starlink has driven.
SpaceX said future Starlink launches from Florida will move to Starship, while Falcon 9 Starlink missions continue from Vandenberg in California.
Starship has flown 13 suborbital test missions so far and currently launches only from South Texas, though SpaceX is building Florida pads and plans to break ground next year on Starbase Louisiana.
The shift advances SpaceX’s broader plan to replace Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy with Starship after years in which Starlink dominated Falcon’s cadence—77 of 100 Falcon 9 launches this year.