CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX kicked off Saturday, November 15, 2025, with an overnight Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, lofting 29 Starlink satellites on mission Starlink 6‑85 at 1:44 a.m. Eastern (06:44 UTC). The veteran first stage, core B1078, completed its 24th flight and touched down on the Atlantic droneship Just Read the Instructions (JRTI) a little over eight minutes after liftoff. [1]
Launch at a glance
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
- Mission: Starlink 6‑85 (29 Starlink V2 Mini satellites)
- Pad:SLC‑40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Liftoff:1:44 a.m. ET (06:44 UTC), Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025
- First‑stage recovery: Landing on droneship JRTI (successful)
- Webcast: SpaceX streamed the mission live; replays are available on SpaceX’s launch page and its official X channel. [2]
What happened overnight
The Falcon 9 climbed away from Space Launch Complex‑40 right on time, marking another routine—but high‑tempo—Starlink deployment for SpaceX. The company reported a successful droneship landing for the first stage and nominal spacecraft separation for the 29 Internet satellites. This flight adds to the rapidly expanding Starlink network in low Earth orbit. [3]
A rapid one‑two on Florida’s Space Coast
Today’s pre‑dawn launch followed closely on the heels of a separate Falcon 9 flight late Friday from nearby Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The two Florida missions—Starlink 6‑89 at 10:08 p.m. ET Friday (03:08 UTC Saturday) and Starlink 6‑85 at 1:44 a.m. ET Saturday—lifted off just about 3 hours 35 minutes apart, the second‑shortest turnaround between Cape‑based SpaceX launches. Each carried 29 satellites, underscoring the cadence SpaceX is maintaining on the Space Coast. [4]
Weather and range outlook
Range meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron issued highly favorable conditions for both Florida launches this weekend, citing >95% odds of acceptable weather at liftoff and only a moderate risk from recent solar activity. That forecast lined up with the smooth overnight countdown for Starlink 6‑85. [5]
Why this launch matters
Starlink launches are frequent, but they continue to set operational benchmarks. With tonight’s pair of Florida flights, SpaceX advanced its record of quick turnarounds from the Cape while pushing Starlink’s on‑orbit population toward 9,000 satellites. The SLC‑40 mission again showcased high‑reuse hardware: booster B1078 has now flown two dozen times, including past flagship missions such as Crew‑6 and national security payloads. [6]
What’s next from Cape Canaveral
As of this morning, the next publicly listed Florida launch is another Falcon 9 Starlink flight currently targeted for Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at 6:29 p.m. ET, pending range and vehicle readiness. Schedules often shift, but tonight’s successful turnaround underscores how quickly the Cape’s manifest can move. [7]
How to watch (replay)
SpaceX archived the full broadcast of Starlink 6‑85; the company typically posts launch replays on its Launches page and on X @SpaceX shortly after mission milestones. If you missed the overnight liftoff, you can still catch the official webcast replay and stage‑recovery footage. [8]
Sources & verification: Spaceflight Now’s live coverage confirms the 1:44 a.m. ET liftoff from SLC‑40, the B1078 first stage’s 24th flight, the JRTI droneship landing, the 3h35m turnaround between Florida launches, and the >95% favorable weather call from the 45th Weather Squadron. Mission‑specific listings from RocketLaunch.org corroborate the pad, timing (06:44 UTC), booster ID, and successful droneship recovery. The Space Coast’s visitor bureau calendar lists the Nov. 18 follow‑on Starlink opportunity. SpaceX’s launch page notes that replays are hosted on the company site and X. [9]
Editor’s note: All dates and times are stated in Eastern Time (ET) with UTC equivalents where helpful; schedules are subject to change by the launch provider and range.
References
1. spaceflightnow.com, 2. rocketlaunch.org, 3. spaceflightnow.com, 4. spaceflightnow.com, 5. spaceflightnow.com, 6. spaceflightnow.com, 7. www.visitspacecoast.com, 8. www.spacex.com, 9. spaceflightnow.com
