Florida’s Space Coast — home of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — remains the reigning rocket launch capital of the world.
Last year ushered in a new annual record of 109 orbital launches, with SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rockets accounting for 101 of those missions. How high will Florida’s launch total climb during 2026?
Following is an updating list of this year’s launches thus far from the Cape. For the latest mission updates and industry news from FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team, visit floridatoday.com/space.
1. SpaceX Starlink 6-88
After the bar was set at at unprecedented 109 launches last year, the rumble returned when a SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off Jan. 4 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the first Starlink mission of 2026.
2. SpaceX Starlink 6-96
As a huge smoke plume rose from a 1,400-acre prescribed burn at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 Jan. 9 on a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale atRneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1