Live coverage: SpaceX to launch midweek Starlink mission on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral

File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of the planned launch of the Starlink 6-71 mission. Image: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX aims to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday afternoon, but faces difficult weather.

The Starlink 6-98 mission will add another 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to the low Earth orbit constellation. This will be its fourth Starlink mission of 2026.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 is scheduled for 1:08 p.m. EST (1808 UTC). The Falcon 9 rocket will fly on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving the launch pad.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour prior to liftoff.



SpaceX will launch the Starlink 6-98 mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number 1085. This will be its 13th flight after flying missions, like Crew-9, Blue Ghost Mission 1 and Fram 2.

Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1085 will target a landing on the SpaceX drone ship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If successful, this will be the 139th landing on this vessel and the 559th booster landing for SpaceX to date.