A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch three O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday, September 13, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Current Operations Plan Advisory. The launch window is scheduled between 2:40 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. from Launch Complex 40, though SpaceX has not officially confirmed the mission. This would be the first major rocket launch on the Space Coast since NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off on August 30 aboard a Falcon Heavy.
The upcoming mission, titled ‘SpaceX mPOWER-F,’ comes after an unusually quiet stretch for the region. No launches were scheduled between late August and early September, aside from the delayed NASA SpaceX Crew-13 mission. That mission, which will carry astronauts to the International Space Station, was postponed until at least late September due to an oxidizer leak detected on the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system. Repairs are currently underway, but no new date has been announced.
SES, the satellite operator, confirmed in a recent statement that the final three O3b mPOWER satellites arrived at the Cape for the upcoming launch. Once deployed, the mission will place 13 satellites into medium Earth orbit, expanding the network’s global broadband capabilities. The satellites are part of a $1.2 billion project to provide low-latency internet services to remote regions.
SpaceX has been preparing Florida’s launch pads for the arrival of its Starship rocket, which is undergoing testing in Texas. The company retired Falcon 9 launches from the Space Coast earlier this year in anticipation of Starship’s debut, but the mPOWER-F mission shows the Cape’s pads remain active. The launch would be the first Falcon 9 flight from the Space Coast since August, when a Falcon Heavy carried the Roman Space Telescope into orbit.
The Florida Today Space Team will provide live updates on the mission, which could set the stage for a return to regular launch activity on the Space Coast as SpaceX balances its Falcon 9 operations with Starship development.