Evening SpaceX launch on tap from Cape Canaveral if weather holds

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Jul 21, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SpaceX has lined up an evening launch from Cape Canaveral on Monday, but the threat of thunderstorms could force a delay.

A Falcon 9 rocket on the mPOWER-D mission with two more communication satellites for Luxembourg-based SES is targeting liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during a two-hour launch window that opens at 5:12 p.m. with a backup option Tuesday during the same window.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts only a 50% chance for good conditions Monday, which decline to 25% if delayed to Tuesday.

If it does launch, it will be the sixth flight for the first-stage booster, which will attempt a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic.

The payloads are the ninth and 10th O3b mPOWER satellites built by Boeing Space for SES. They are headed to medium-Earth orbit at about 5,000 miles altitude.

This would be the 62nd launch on the Space Coast from all companies in 2025, with all but three coming from SpaceX.

Blue Origin had one with its New Glenn debut in January while United Launch Alliance has flown two Atlas V rockets as well.

ULA could fly before the end of the month with what would be its third-ever launch of the new Vulcan rocket, which has been prepping to fly its first national security mission, USSF-106, from Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41.

Blue Origin recently announced its next New Glenn launch would be for NASA’s Mars-bound ESCAPADE mission, but didn’t announce a target liftoff date.

SpaceX has flown 42 of its missions from Canaveral’s SLC-40 and all 16 of the launches from Kennedy Space Center this year. The next KSC launch could come as early as July 31 for NASA’s Crew-11 mission.

-----------