Falcon 9 — next launch, schedule & where to watch
Next Falcon 9 launch: Falcon 9 Block 5 Bandwagon 5 (Dedicated Mid-Inclination Rideshare), tomorrow, targeting Oct 19, 2026, 6:30 AM Eastern. Full schedule below.
SpaceX’s partially reusable two-stage workhorse — the most-flown orbital rocket in the world.
Flown by SpaceX.
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Upcoming Falcon 9 launches
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Bandwagon 5 (Dedicated Mid-Inclination Rideshare) Tomorrow
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-15 In 3 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-16 In 6 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cygnus CRS-2 NG-25 In 6 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer D In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer E In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Telesat Lightspeed 1 In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | BlueBird 14-16 (Block 2 #9-11) In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | CHORUS In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Inmarsat-7 F1 (GX-7) In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer A In 11 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer C In 11 weeks
Most often launches from: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
About Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket whose first stage lands and reflies, which is why SpaceX can launch it so frequently. It carries Starlink satellites, crew and cargo to the ISS, and a wide range of commercial and government payloads.
Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center in Florida and from Vandenberg in California — often several times a week — so it is the launch most US viewers are likely to catch.
Where to watch Falcon 9 launches
- Port Canaveral, FL, about 6 mi from the pad; look east-northeast.
- Lompoc, CA, about 9 mi from the pad; look west.
- Vandenberg Village, CA, about 10 mi from the pad; look southwest.
- Cocoa Beach, FL, about 11 mi from the pad; look north-northeast.
- Merritt Island, FL, about 12 mi from the pad; look northeast.
- Titusville, FL, about 15 mi from the pad; look east-southeast.
Falcon 9 viewing FAQ
When is the next Falcon 9 launch?
The next Falcon 9 launch is Falcon 9 Block 5 Bandwagon 5 (Dedicated Mid-Inclination Rideshare), currently targeting Oct 19, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC / Oct 19, 2026, 6:30 AM Eastern / Oct 19, 2026, 3:30 AM Pacific. Dates slip often; this page is rebuilt daily with the latest schedule, or set a free alert to get the final time.
How visible is a Falcon 9 launch?
Very, on a clear night. Within ~100 miles of the pad you’ll see it within seconds of liftoff; a few hundred miles away it rises over the horizon a few minutes in. Twilight launches can be seen from many states.
What is the bright cloud after a Falcon 9 launch?
High-altitude, twilight launches sometimes produce a glowing “space jellyfish” — exhaust expanding in near-vacuum and lit by the sun. It can be visible for hundreds of miles.