Mission scrubbed: SpaceX set to launch 29 Starlink satellites off of Florida coast
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. - SpaceX was set to launch another 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit Wednesday morning from the Space Coast, but after a series of delays the launch was scrubbed.
The Starlink satellites will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday morning.
Why was the launch scrubbed?
The launch window for Starlink mission 10-43 was open from 4:02 a.m. to 8:02 a.m. With an initial launch set for 6:10 a.m., then 7:35 a.m., Brevard County Emergency Management Office announced the launch was scrubbed shortly before 7:35 a.m.
"We have deactivated our launch operations support team after a scrubbed launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket," Brevard County reported at 7:10 a.m.
SpaceX has not confirmed why the launch was scrubbed, but FOX 35's Brooks Garner reported a downpour on the coast near Mims and Titusville.
According to Space Launch Delta 45, a cool front moving southward across the Florida peninsula made weather conditions "tricky for launch," a mission forecast said.
What we don't know:
It's not known when SpaceX will reschedule the launch. SLC-45 said the backup window is set for Thursday morning.
What we know:
This will be the 12th flight for the first-stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SES O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, mPOWER-D, CRS-33, and six Starlink missions, SpaceX said.
After the separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Satellites are expected to be deployed an hour and four minutes into the mission.
Following the launch in Florida, Falcon 9 will launch 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Starlink-equipped buoys provided real-time video streaming in the Indian Ocean during Starship's twelfth flight test pic.twitter.com/SzfmwUMg4N
— Starlink (@Starlink) May 26, 2026
What is SpaceX?
The backstory:
SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, started in 2002 to create powerful, fully reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX rockets can withstand reentry and land back on Earth to re-fly again.
They hope to become capable of carrying humans to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. In 2020, SpaceX was the first private company to transport people to the International Space Station.
The company has completed 656 missions, 617 landings and 579 relights, its website said.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit today at 12:35 p.m., from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
What is Starlink?
With a goal of providing high-speed Internet around the world, Starlink aims to provide connectivity for streaming, video calls, gaming and remote working anywhere in the world – including remote locations.
Home internet services are offered from $55 to $130 a month, Starlink's website said. Interested users can opt for a 30-day trial.
What's next:
The next launch is set for June 3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10: 26 a.m. ET.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from SpaceX.