A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Monday, March 30, 2026. This mission marked the 34th flight of the booster, which is now the most-flown Falcon 9 first stage. The launch occurred on the same day NASA began the countdown for Artemis II, which could send astronauts to the moon as early as April 1. The Falcon 9 carried Starlink satellites for the 10-44 mission, continuing SpaceX’s rapid pace of launches from the Space Coast.
The Space Coast ended 2025 with a record 109 orbital launches, the highest annual total in the region’s history. That included 101 missions by SpaceX, six by United Launch Alliance and two by Blue Origin. In 2026, the region is on track for another busy year with 22 planned orbital launches as of March 22. SpaceX alone is expected to conduct 21 Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral, while ULA will attempt its first Vulcan Centaur launch. NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will carry astronauts beyond the moon’s orbit, is a major focus for the year.
Breaking down the numbers, 2025 saw 83 launches from Cape Canaveral and 26 from Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX accounted for 101 of those missions, including all Falcon 9 flights. ULA contributed six launches, including one Vulcan, and Blue Origin launched twice with its New Glenn rocket. The year included four human spaceflights: SpaceX’s Crew-10 and Crew-11 missions, Axiom Space’s Ax-4 and NASA’s Crew-12. In 2024, the region saw 93 launches, including five human spaceflights, and 72 in 2023.
The March 30 Falcon 9 launch was the 21st SpaceX orbital mission of 2026 and the first of the year from Cape Canaveral. No launches are planned from Kennedy Space Center this year. Blue Origin has not yet launched its New Glenn rocket in 2026, and ULA’s Vulcan is expected to debut later in the year. Details on past launches, including mission logs and imagery, are available through the Florida Today media archive and the Space Coast’s official launch tracking resources.