SpaceX has finished its last planned Falcon 9 Starlink launch from Florida, ending a seven-year period that made the Space Coast the world’s busiest spaceport. The final mission lifted off Tuesday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s vice president of launch, confirmed the shift in a post on X, stating future Starlink missions from Florida will use Starship while Falcon 9 continues Starlink operations from Vandenberg, California.
The change will reduce Florida’s monthly launch rate from eight or nine to about two until Starship begins East Coast flights, expected by mid-2027. Falcon 9 will still handle crew, NASA, national-security, and commercial missions. Dontchev called the end of Falcon 9 Starlink launches on the East Coast “the end of an era,” noting Starship will take over satellite internet constellation deployments from the region.
The announcement affected stock markets unevenly. AST SpaceMobile shares dropped 4% on concerns about reduced launch dependency, while Rocket Lab’s shares remained stable. Rocket Lab’s $2.36 billion backlog may benefit from tighter medium-lift capacity. SpaceX shares traded near $138.50, above the IPO price but below June’s record high.
SpaceX has been testing Starship at Starbase in Louisiana, with East Coast launches expected to begin by mid-2027. The transition reflects the company’s focus on scaling Starship for heavy-lift missions while maintaining Falcon 9’s role in other operations. Local officials and industry watchers are monitoring how the shift impacts Brevard County’s economy and its status as a key space hub.