Officials anticipate that this year will surpass the recently set 2023 annual mark of 72 orbital rocket launches from Florida’s Space Coast, home of NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The majority of these missions will be carried out by SpaceX’s reliable Falcon 9.

The list of Cape Canaveral launches in 2024 thus far is as follows:

1. Ovzon-3

At 6:04 p.m. on January 3, an Ovzon-3 communications satellite lifted out from a SpaceX Falcon 9 at CCSFS Launch Complex 40.

Ovzon-3: In 2024, SpaceX will launch the Ovzon-3 satellite mission for the first time from Space Coast.

2. Starlink 6-35 SpaceX

At 5:35 p.m. on January 7, SpaceX launched a group of Starlink internet-beaming satellites from CCSFS Launch Complex 40 atop a Falcon 9. Remark: Liftoff took place precisely eight hours and forty-three minutes prior to the historic Vulcan launch by the United Launch Alliance.

Starlink 6-35: Cape Canaveral witnesses a flawless launch of the ULA Vulcan rocket on its historic first flight.

3. Initial flight of the ULA Vulcan Cert-1

On January 8 at 2:18 a.m., United Launch Alliance’s next-generation Vulcan rocket launched from KSC pad 39A to complete its first certification flight.

Cert-1: The ULA Vulcan rocket departs Cape Canaveral without incident, making history on its historic first flight.

4. Starlink 6-37 SpaceX

On January 14, at 8:52 p.m., SpaceX launched a series of Starlink internet-beaming satellites from CCSFS Launch Complex 40 on a Falcon 9.

Starlink 6-37: SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday, followed on Wednesday by a crewed trip to Axiom Space

5. Crewed mission Ax-3

At 4:49 p.m. on January 18, Axiom Space launched a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 carrying its third crew of private astronauts to the International Space Station from KSC pad 39A.

Ax-3: The Ax-3 mission launches four private European astronauts for a rendezvous with the International Space Station.

Visit floridatoday.com/space to follow FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team for the most recent news and launch updates from the Cape.