SpaceX Launches 29 Starlink Satellites Amid Chilly Florida Weather

On the evening of January 18, 2026, SpaceX once again captured the world’s attention with a flawless launch from Florida’s iconic Space Coast. At precisely 6:31:40 p.m. EST, a Falcon 9 rocket thundered off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying 29 new Starlink V2 Mini satellites into the chilly, cloud-strewn sky. This mission, designated Starlink 6-100, marked yet another milestone in SpaceX’s relentless quest to blanket the globe with affordable, high-speed internet.

According to Spaceflight Now, the launch took place under the watchful eye of the 45th Weather Squadron, who had been keeping a close tab on a cold front sweeping across the Florida peninsula. The weather, always a wild card for rocket launches, posed some challenges. Forecasters had pegged the odds of acceptable conditions at 60% when the launch window opened, with concerns about cumulus and thick clouds, as well as brisk winds. The temperature hovered around 56-57 degrees Fahrenheit, with north to northwest winds blowing between 7 and 28 mph—a brisk evening for the typically balmy region.

But as luck would have it, the elements cooperated just enough. As FLORIDA TODAY reported in their live coverage, the powerful gusts that had battered the area earlier in the day subsided to a manageable 14 mph by 5:55 p.m., and visibility held steady at 10 miles. The sky was mostly cloudy, but not enough to scuttle the launch plans. By the time the countdown hit zero, all systems were go, and the Falcon 9’s engines roared to life, lighting up the post-sunset horizon.

The mission itself was a testament to SpaceX’s operational rhythm and technical prowess. In just over an hour after liftoff, the 29 Starlink satellites were successfully deployed into a 164 x 157 mile (264 x 253 km) orbit, inclined at 43 degrees to the Equator. Each of these V2 Mini satellites forms a crucial link in SpaceX’s ever-growing low-Earth orbit constellation—a network that aims to provide internet access to even the most remote corners of the planet.

But the excitement didn’t end with the satellites’ deployment. The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, known as B1080, pulled off another crowd-pleasing landing on the drone ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Touchdown came just 8 minutes and 20 seconds after liftoff—a feat that has become almost routine for SpaceX, but never fails to impress. This particular booster has a storied past: since joining the fleet in May 2023 with the Axiom-2 mission to the International Space Station, it has now completed its 24th flight.

WKMG ClickOrlando highlighted the booster’s impressive résumé, noting that it had previously supported high-profile missions such as Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, SES ASTRA 1P, NG-21, and no fewer than 17 other Starlink missions. The ability to reuse boosters at this pace is a cornerstone of SpaceX’s strategy to drive down costs and ramp up launch frequency—a paradigm shift in the economics of spaceflight.

The Starlink 6-100 mission also marked SpaceX’s 601st overall mission, according to FLORIDA TODAY. Just two days earlier, the company celebrated its 600th launch with a Falcon 9 liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, couldn’t resist chiming in on social media, saying, “Congratulations on 600 missions! Falcon will probably exceed 1000 missions before retiring.” That level of ambition, while bold, feels almost inevitable given the company’s current cadence and relentless innovation.

Back on the ground in Florida, the launch was the fifth orbital mission of the year from the Space Coast, with both Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center humming with activity. The local community, well-accustomed to the rumble of rockets, watched as emergency management teams activated their launch operations support protocols—a sign of just how integral these events have become to the region’s identity and economy.

Weather, as ever, played a starring role in the day’s drama. Earlier in the afternoon, wind gusts at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center reached a staggering 61 mph, according to the National Weather Service. But by launch time, conditions had stabilized. Still, the cold front’s effects lingered, prompting a cold weather advisory for northern Brevard County from midnight to 9 a.m. the following day, with wind chills expected to dip as low as 27 degrees Fahrenheit. For Floridians, that’s downright frigid!

The countdown to launch, as detailed by FLORIDA TODAY, followed a meticulously choreographed sequence. From the “go” for propellant load 38 minutes before liftoff, through engine chill and final computer checks, to the ignition sequence at T-minus 3 seconds—every step was monitored, double-checked, and executed with precision. The webcast, posted just before the launch, drew viewers from around the world, eager to witness the latest chapter in SpaceX’s ongoing saga.

As the rocket arced southeast over the Atlantic, there were no sonic booms for Brevard County residents to worry about—a small mercy for those who prefer their Sunday evenings a bit quieter. But for space fans, the launch was a welcome jolt of excitement, a reminder of how far commercial spaceflight has come in such a short time.

Looking ahead, the Starlink constellation continues to expand at a breakneck pace. With each successful launch, SpaceX inches closer to its vision of a truly interconnected world. The company’s ability to turn complex, high-risk operations into almost clockwork routines is reshaping expectations for what’s possible in space—and on Earth.

All told, the January 18 mission was a showcase of technical mastery, operational discipline, and a bit of meteorological luck. As SpaceX eyes even more ambitious goals, from lunar landings to Mars colonies, the regular rhythm of Starlink launches serves as both a proving ground and a promise: the sky, it seems, is no longer the limit.