SpaceX will launch a pay-TV satellite for EchoStar Corp. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Monday night. The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off during a 149-minute window opening at 11:19 p.m. EST, aiming to place the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Weather forecasts from Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron give a 90% chance of favorable conditions, rising to 95% if the launch is delayed by 24 hours.
This mission, named EchoStar XXV, will use a Falcon 9 first-stage booster making its 14th flight. The booster will attempt a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The satellite is part of a $450 million construction project in 2025 by Lanteris Space, with a second satellite, EchoStar XXVI, slated for 2028. EchoStar, which owns brands like Boost Mobile, Sling TV, and DISH TV, reported $15 billion in revenue for its most recent quarter and serves 7 million pay-TV subscribers.
The launch will be the 17th of the year on the Space Coast, with 15 of SpaceX’s previous 16 launches focused on expanding its Starlink satellite constellation. According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX has deployed over 11,400 Starlink satellites since 2019, with nearly 10,000 still in orbit. Only two of SpaceX’s launches this year have not been Starlink missions, including this one.
EchoStar’s satellites are designed to enhance its broadband and television services. The company’s DISH TV division has 5.02 million subscribers, while Sling TV has 1.98 million. The EchoStar XXV satellite is the first of two built by Lanteris Space, which accounted for most of the $450 million in construction costs last year. The project underscores EchoStar’s investment in expanding its satellite infrastructure to meet growing demand for high-speed internet and streaming services.