SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Monday, Oct. 19, with a one-hour launch window opening at 6:30 a.m.
The Falcon 9 is set to lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 carrying more than 30 payloads for a range of customers into low-Earth orbit, according to Space Coast Daily. The planned liftoff comes about 55 minutes before the Space Coast’s forecast 7:25 a.m. sunrise.
The mission would be the 60th orbital rocket launch of 2026 from Florida’s Space Coast. After separating from the rocket’s upper stage, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster is expected to attempt a landing on SpaceX’s autonomous droneship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, in the Atlantic Ocean.
The booster is scheduled to make its 19th mission. Because the return is planned offshore rather than at a Space Coast landing zone, local sonic booms are not expected. Launch timing remains subject to weather, technical issues and other operational requirements.
