Brevard County students heading back to school on Monday, August 10 may get an extra send-off: a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station that same morning. The launch is scheduled no earlier than 10:49 a.m., with the window staying open until 2:49 p.m. if needed.
The mission, designated Starlink 10-19, will carry 29 Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Launch Complex 40. It also marks a return to form for the Space Coast — Starlink launches from the Cape had been on pause for nearly a month while SpaceX prioritized payloads for other customers. The company also conducts Starlink launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
After liftoff, the Falcon 9 will head northeast over the Atlantic. Residents in Brevard County shouldn't expect any sonic booms from this particular flight. The rocket's first-stage booster is set to land on SpaceX's drone ship, A Shortfall of Gravitas, waiting in the Atlantic Ocean, and the vessel will return the recovered booster to Port Canaveral in the days following the launch.
This story was reported by Brooke Edwards for Florida Today.
