SpaceX launched its final Starlink mission from Florida’s Space Coast on April 2, ending a years-long series of Falcon 9 rocket deployments from the region. The launch, conducted from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40, carried 52 Starlink satellites into orbit and is part of the company’s transition to its larger Starship rocket for future missions. SpaceX officials confirmed the flight was the last Falcon 9 Starlink launch from the state, signaling a strategic pivot toward Starship development.
The mission followed a successful test flight of Starship’s prototype, SN20, in March, which completed a suborbital flight and landing at SpaceX’s South Texas facility. The shift comes as the company accelerates efforts to build a fully reusable heavy-lift system capable of supporting lunar and Mars missions. SpaceX’s president, Gwynne Shotwell, said in a March 2023 interview that Starship would handle all future Starlink launches, though the company may conduct occasional Falcon 9 missions for other customers.
The launch was visible across much of Florida’s east coast, with residents in Cocoa and Titusville reporting a bright streak across the sky shortly after sunset. Local officials noted the end of an era for the Falcon 9 at Cape Canaveral, which has been a cornerstone of the region’s space industry since 2010. The Kennedy Space Center, located 45 miles north of Cape Canaveral, remains a primary site for Starship testing and future launches.
SpaceX’s shift to Starship is expected to reduce costs for Starlink’s global broadband expansion, which aims to provide internet access to over 1.5 billion people by 2025. The company has already begun constructing a dedicated Starship launch facility at Boca Chica Beach in Texas, with plans to conduct its first orbital test flight later this year. Meanwhile, Brevard County officials are working to ensure continued economic benefits from SpaceX’s presence, including potential jobs related to Starship’s eventual operational phase.