SpaceX has set a goal for an early morning Falcon 9 rocket launch on July 8 from Florida’s Space Coast. The launch is expected to take place at 4:21 a.m., with plans to send 28 broadband satellites as part of the Starlink 10-28 mission into low-Earth orbit.
While the launch site was initially indicated as pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, it will actually proceed from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station due to recent trends in federal advisories.
Weather conditions may pose challenges, with the National Weather Service predicting a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms late Monday night into Tuesday morning. However, mostly cloudy skies are anticipated with temperatures dropping to around 75 degrees and light southeast winds.
This forthcoming launch will mark the 59th orbital rocket launch from Cape Canaveral in 2025. Additionally, the Space Force has announced that SpaceX has been awarded an $81.6 million contract to launch the USSF-178 mission in the first half of the 2027 fiscal year. This mission will include the Weather System Follow-on-Microwave Space Vehicle 2 (WSF-M2), aimed at enhancing global weather prediction capabilities, alongside a collection of small Department of Defense satellites known as BLAZE-2.
In summary, SpaceX continues to play a crucial role in advancing space technology and satellite connectivity while supporting critical weather forecasting systems for the future.