SpaceX’s Big Day of Launches
Date: October 1
SpaceX has an ambitious schedule today, planning to launch three missions within a 13-hour period—something they have done only once before.
Launch Schedule
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Crew-13 Mission
- Time: 11:10 a.m. EDT (1510 GMT)
- Details: Sending astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
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Transporter-18 Rideshare Mission
- Time: 2:18 p.m. EDT (1818 GMT; 11:18 a.m. local California time)
- Details: Carrying 130 payloads to orbit, including a prototype satellite for Google’s Project Suncatcher AI. This mission will launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
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NROL-97 Mission
- Time: 11:53 p.m. EDT (0353 GMT on October 2)
- Details: A classified mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office using the Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Watching the Launches
You can watch the Crew-13 launch live via Space.com, while SpaceX will provide webcasts for the Transporter-18 and NROL-97 missions on their website.
Historical Context
The last time SpaceX completed three missions in quick succession was on March 14-15, 2025. That event featured three Falcon 9 rocket launches in just over 12 hours.
Additional Notes
Today’s missions follow the recent successful 14th test flight of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, marking a busy week for the company as they maximize the use of their active rockets.
