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The Space Coast is set to witness a record number of launches in 2023. According to the latest information, there have been 42 launches planned for this year, with 34 from Cape Canaveral and 8 from Kennedy Space Center. Among these, SpaceX will account for 40 launches, with 37 Falcon 9s and 3 Falcon Heavy. United Launch Alliance is scheduled for 1 launch with the Delta IV Heavy, and Relativity Space will have 1 launch as well. Additionally, there will be 2 human spaceflights, including Crew-6 and Ax-2.

In August, SpaceX conducted two launches. The first launch was on August 11, sending a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 V2 mini Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster successfully landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. On August 16, SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 mini Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its 13th flight and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Upcoming launches in August include the SpaceX Crew-7 mission, scheduled for August 25. This mission will launch the Crew Dragon Endurance from Kennedy Space Center and will be the seventh operational mission of SpaceX under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

In September, United Launch Alliance is planning a launch of the Atlas V rocket, carrying the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 for the National Reconnaissance Office and Space Force. The mission aims to enhance space domain awareness and provide intelligence data to support national security.

Looking ahead to October, there is a scheduled launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy carrying NASA’s Psyche probe. This mission will aim to study a nickel-iron core asteroid beyond Mars.

In November, there is a planned launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 with the Intuitive Machines IM-1 lunar lander. This mission has the potential to become the first NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission to land on the moon.

Other launches scheduled for 2023 include the first-ever launch of the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur, the Polaris Dawn mission by SpaceX, and the Boeing CST-100 Starliner mission.

These launches highlight the continued growth and activity on the Space Coast as it remains a focal point for space exploration and technological advancements.

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