A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch Friday, Feb. 27, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The four-hour launch window runs from 4:52 a.m. to 8:52 a.m., with sunrise occurring at 6:49 a.m. This timing means the rocket could light up the sky just as the sun rises over Brevard County. The mission will carry 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit and mark the 30th flight of the rocket’s first-stage booster. This is the first time a Falcon 9 booster has reached this milestone. The booster will land on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding sonic booms over Central Florida. The launch will be the 14th orbital rocket flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in 2026. Last year, Florida’s Space Coast set an all-time record with 109 launches. The most recent launch occurred Tuesday, Feb. 24, when another Starlink mission lifted off at 6:04 p.m. from the same complex. The Falcon 9 will launch to the southeast, with the first stage separating and landing on the drone ship after reaching space. No sonic booms are expected over land due to the trajectory. SpaceX’s Starlink missions have become a regular part of the Space Coast’s launch calendar. Another Starlink mission is planned for Sunday, March 1, with a launch window from 7:07 p.m. to 11:07 p.m. from Launch Complex 40. Live coverage of Friday’s launch will begin about 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space. The timing of the launch relative to sunrise has drawn interest from residents and skywatchers. The mission’s success could contribute to SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to expand global broadband coverage through the Starlink network.