SpaceX knocks out Florida launch while prepping for Texas Starship mission

SpaceX completed another Starlink launch from Florida while preparing for its next Starship and Super Heavy mission from Texas, according to reports from the Space Coast. In the Florida mission, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:10 a.m. EDT carrying Starlink 10-45 with 29 satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. The first-stage booster flew for the 28th time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. The launch was the 47th on the Space Coast in 2026, with SpaceX responsible for all but seven. In Texas, the company received government approval to proceed with Flight 13 after the FAA accepted the mishap investigation for Starship’s 12th mission flown in May, when the Super Heavy booster returned out of control without injuries or property damage. The FAA cited heat effects on propulsion components and erroneous engine alarm settings as probable root causes, and SpaceX identified four corrective actions. Flight 13 targets a 90-minute window Thursday starting at 6:45 p.m. EDT after a static hot fire of the 33 engines.