Fifty-two rockets have launched from Brevard County this year, according to tracking data from Florida Today. SpaceX dominated the tally with 45 launches, followed by United Launch Alliance (ULA) with four missions, Blue Origin with one, and NASA with one Space Launch System (SLS) flight for Artemis II. The total is down from last year's record 109 launches, as companies grapple with technical hurdles and infrastructure delays.
SpaceX's launch rate has slowed significantly compared to 2025, when 101 of 109 launches were Falcon 9 rockets. The company now operates from a single Falcon 9 pad while preparing to move its Starship program to Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A. ULA faces its own challenges after a February anomaly with the Vulcan rocket's solid booster, delaying its return to flight. Blue Origin is still rebuilding its Launch Complex 36 after a May static test fire of the New Glenn rocket ended in an explosion.
NASA's sole launch this year was the SLS rocket for Artemis II, which lifted off in August. The agency has not announced plans for additional missions from Florida in 2026. ULA's four launches included one Vulcan Centaur and three Atlas V missions, though the company has not yet achieved a successful Vulcan flight.
The reduced pace has raised questions about whether Brevard will match last year's record. SpaceX's shift to Starship and infrastructure changes at the Cape are expected to reshape the launch landscape in coming years. For now, the Space Coast remains a hub of activity, even as companies work through technical and logistical challenges.
Photographs from 2026's launches show the continued drama of rocket flight, from the bright plumes of Falcon 9s to the towering SLS. The images capture both the routine and the extraordinary moments that define the Space Coast's role in space exploration.