Doubleheader rocket launches in Florida: Are they rare? List of days that had 2 liftoffs
Doubleheader rocket launch in Florida? At night? Within four hours? That's what happened Monday, June 23, in Cape Canaveral.
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance had successful rocket launches from Florida's Space Coast in the same day.
Or rather, night.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station hosted two rocket launches within four hours and 46 minutes: First, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 1:58 a.m. Monday from Launch Complex 40. The Falcon 9 deployed 27 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit after ascending along a northeasterly trajectory.
Then, shortly after sunrise, United Launch Alliance launched an Atlas V rocket sporting five solid rocket boosters at 6:54 a.m. Monday on Amazon's second Project Kuiper internet constellation mission. That rocket also lifted off to the northeast from Launch Complex 41 at the Space Force installation.
What was on board ULA Atlas V? Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper, a global network of satellites, to compete with SpaceX founder-billionaire Elon Musk and Starlink satellites.
This was the second launch of the Amazon Project Kuiper production satellites, courtesy of the ULA Atlas V rocket. Online, the mission has been called the "Amazon rocket launch" or "the Amazon rocket launch from Florida." Technically, it's an "Amazon-ULA rocket launch" or "Amazon satellite launch." Bezos also founded the private space company Blue Origin, which launches rockets at a facility in Texas and in Cape Canaveral.
➤ Business is booming: Florida's Space Coast is one of fastest-growing economies in U.S.
Below are photos of the late-night doubleheader rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and a list of previous doubleheader rocket launches here.
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rocket launch tally: Here's a list of all 2025 missions from Cape Canaveral, Florida (psst, there's a lot)
Tom Cruise and untitled SpaceX project: 'Mission: Impossible' star who lives in Florida may shoot a film in outer space
As of Monday, June 23, 2025, there have been 53 rocket launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Of the 53 rocket launches, some of which have included crew members en route to the International Space Station, six have been "doubleheaders," or two in one day. Here's a look back at those missions.
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025: For the SpaceX Starlink 12-3 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket launched at 5:15 a.m. Feb. 4, 2025, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, followed by a 6:13 p.m. Feb. 4, 2025, launch for SpaceX Maxar 3 mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025: For the SpaceX Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket launched at 7:16 p.m. Feb. 26, 2025, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, followed by a 10:34 p.m. Feb. 26, 2025, launch for SpaceX Starlink 12-13 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Monday, March 31, 2025: For the SpaceX Starlink 6-80 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket launched at 3:52 p.m. March 31, 2025, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, followed by a 9:46 p.m. March 31, 2025, launch for SpaceX Fram2 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Monday, April 21, 2025: For the NASA-SpaceX CRS-32 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket launched at 4:15 a.m. April 21, 2025, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, followed by a 8:48 p.m. April 21, 2025, launch for SpaceX Bandwagon-3 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Monday, April 28, 2025: For United Launch Alliance's first Project Kuiper mission, an Atlas V rocket launched at 7:01 p.m. April 28, 2025, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, followed by a 10:34 p.m. April 28, 2025, launch of the Falcon 9 rocket for SpaceX Starlink 12-10 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Monday, June 23, 2025: For the SpaceX Starlink 10-23 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket launched at 1:58 a.m. June 23, 2025, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, followed by a 6:54 a.m. June 23, 2025, United Launch Alliance-Amazon Project Kuiper 2 launch of the Atlas V rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team consistently covers rocket launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for the USA TODAY Network. Of the six doubleheader rocket launches in Florida for 2025, four happened on a Monday, and only one occurred at the same launch complex station location on the same day (June 23 SpaceX and ULA missions).
Coincidentally, the ULA-Amazon Project Kuiper launches each happened on a Monday, and both fell on a doubleheader rocket launch day.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Doubleheader SpaceX, ULA, NASA rocket launches in Florida: 2025 list
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