A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch on August 30 carrying NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was the last rocket to lift off from Florida for the foreseeable future. The slowdown follows SpaceX’s decision to move all Starlink missions to California, reserving Florida for its Starship rocket. Florida’s Space Coast, which saw 109 launches last year, now has fewer than 60 scheduled for 2026. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which routinely launched Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral, will no longer handle those missions from Florida. The shift means fewer launches at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where Falcon 9 previously operated on a biweekly schedule. The last Starlink launch from Florida occurred in late August, after which the pad will remain idle until Starship operations begin. NASA’s upcoming Crew-13 mission, originally set for mid-September, has been delayed due to an oxidizer leak on the spacecraft’s propulsion system. No new date has been announced. The delay adds to the slowdown, as Florida’s usual pace of at least two launches per week has been disrupted. SpaceX’s move to California for Starlink missions is part of a broader shift in the industry. United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin have also faced setbacks, with ULA’s Vulcan rocket delayed by technical issues and Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket grounded after a launch failure in July. These disruptions have contributed to a drop in Florida’s launch count. The Space Coast’s 2026 launch total is now predicted to fall well short of last year’s record, with only a handful of missions remaining before Starship operations resume. Local officials and industry insiders say the pause is temporary but highlights the challenges of transitioning to new rocket systems. The next major launch from Florida is expected in early 2027, when SpaceX begins testing its Starship rocket at the Boca Chica site in Texas, though some Florida-based Starship missions may still occur later this year.