Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Sunday, Oct. 19, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on the Starlink 10-17 mission, which featured a first-stage booster’s 31st flight.
Original story: Expect a greater-than-95% chance of sunny, top-notch launch weather for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket liftoff this afternoon!
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage of today’s SpaceX Starlink 10-17 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Rather than this morning, SpaceX is now targeting 1:39 p.m. to launch the Falcon 9 and deploy a batch of 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
No Brevard County sonic booms should occur. After soaring skyward along a northeasterly trajectory, the rocket’s first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship out at sea about eight minutes after liftoff.
Of note: That first-stage booster is slated to make its 31st flight — setting a new SpaceX longevity record.
Update 1:52 p.m.: SpaceX just tweeted video footage of the fleet-leader booster executing its 31st landing.
Update 1:47 p.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX’s drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean, wrapping up its landmark 31st mission.
10/19/25 1:44 PM | We have deactivated our launch operations support team after a successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon9 rocket.
— Brevard EOC (@BrevardEOC) October 19, 2025
Update 1:39 p.m.: Liftoff! SpaceX has just launched the Falcon 9 carrying 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Update 1:34 p.m.: SpaceX’s launch webcast is now posted above, right below our countdown clock.
Liftoff is scheduled in five minutes from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Update 1:28 p.m.: Eleven minutes before SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifts off, the countdown appears to be proceeding as planned.
Following is a list of key remaining countdown milestones. T-minus:
7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies “go for launch.”3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.0 seconds: Falcon 9 liftoff.
Update 1:18 p.m.: Today’s mission will mark the Falcon 9 first-stage booster’s record-shattering 31st flight, SpaceX reported.
The booster previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A and 19 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, crews expect the booster to land on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes, 20 seconds after liftoff.
Update 1:08 p.m.: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now taking place at Launch Complex 40, visual cues indicate.
That means the Starlink mission countdown is locked in to lift off at 1:39 p.m. without any delays, or else today’s launch must be postponed to a later date.
Update 12:57 p.m.: In a Saturday tweet, Starlink officials posted video footage from a camera-equipped buoy in the Indian Ocean that streamed Starship’s final soft descent into the sea during Monday’s 11th test flight.
Update 12:47 p.m.: Here’s a rundown of SpaceX’s upcoming behind-the-scenes Falcon 9 launch countdown timeline. T-minus:
38 minutes: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for propellant load.35 minutes: Rocket-grade kerosene and first-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.16 minutes: Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for launch.3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.0 seconds: Liftoff.
Update 12:35 p.m.: SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch will clock in as the 87th orbital rocket launch thus far during 2025 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The annual record of 93 launches was just established last year — and stands to be short-lived.
Click here for the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team’s updating tally listing all of this year’s missions, complete with photo galleries and story links.
Update 12:21 p.m.: SpaceX’s predawn Starlink mission on Thursday, Oct. 16, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station set a new record for the fastest launch-to-launch turnaround time from the same U.S. pad, Vice President of Launch Kiko Dontchev said in a tweet.
The record was set between SpaceX’s Monday, Oct. 13, nighttime KF-03 mission for Amazon’s Kuiper Project and that Thursday Starlink 10-52 mission. Time between launches: 55 hours, 29 minutes and 9 seconds.
“I’m confident the @SpaceX Falcon team will pull off a sub 48 hour launch to launch turn from Pad 40 this year. We still have some work to do best the world record the Soviets in 1962 with Vostok 3 and Vostok 4 from the same pad in 24 hours (two different ground launch systems so not totally apples to apples, but nonetheless the record!)” Dontchev said in the tweet.
“Of course, we will all look back and laugh at these records once Starship is ripping multiple launches a day from the same pad,” he said.
Falcon launch #130 for 2025. The rolling 365 launch total is 166 launches!
Notable records from this morning:
* Fastest launch to launch from the same American Launch Pad at 55 Hrs, 29 minutes and 9 seconds
* Fastest TE roll in to hangar for booster integration to launch at 12… https://t.co/kgrHZ7yXD5
— Kiko Dontchev (@TurkeyBeaver) October 16, 2025
Update 12:10 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency’s launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch.
10/19/25 11:54 AM | We have activated our launch operations support team in preparation for the SpaceX Falcon9 launch. Window: 12:52 – 2:52 PM pic.twitter.com/PBGqThu4Da
— Brevard EOC (@BrevardEOC) October 19, 2025
Update 11:59 a.m.: A few details from the 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast narrative:
“The dry conditions and weak winds leave little concern for violations on the primary launch day. The weak boundary is expected to slide past the Spaceport on Monday morning, shifting our winds northerly but again remaining relatively light,” the forecast said.
Today’s primary weather risk: The National Weather Service warns of northeast swells generating dangerous rip currents at beaches across East-Central Florida
Oct 19 | Warm temps in the mid-upper 80s are expected today ahead of a front that will bring a low chance for a shower or lightning storm late this afternoon and evening to east central FL. Northeast swells will bring a HIGH Risk of life-threatening rip currents at the beaches. pic.twitter.com/NhyXzFdW0Q
— NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) October 19, 2025
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Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1