SpaceX Shifts Thuraya-4 Launch to Friday Night at Cape Canaveral

Initial launch of 2025: SpaceX is now aiming for a launch window from 8:27 p.m. EST Friday to 12:53 a.m. Saturday — 24 hours later than originally expected — to lift off a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as indicated by Federal Aviation Administration records.

The Falcon 9 is set to deploy the Thuraya-4 geostationary communications satellite, following its ascent from Launch Complex 40.

“Thuraya 4-NGS is a communications satellite being developed by Airbus Defense and Space for the UAE’s Yahsat,” the Space Coast Office of Tourism shared on its website.

“Utilizing the all-electric Airbus Eurostar-Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will feature a sizable 12-meter L-band antenna and a payload equipped with on-board processing, allowing advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power distribution across a multitude of spot beams,” the website noted.

Rocket photography: FLORIDA TODAY’s 2025 Space Launch Calendar is now available

No sonic booms are anticipated in Central Florida during the Thuraya-4 mission. Instead, after ascending towards the east, the rocket’s first-stage booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship at sea approximately eight minutes after liftoff.

The first mission from Cape in the new year follows a record-setting 2024 in which an astonishing 93 orbital rockets launched throughout the calendar. This figure surpassed the brief record of 72 launches set in 2023.

Looking past Thuraya-4, SpaceX is gearing up for its next Starlink broadband satellite deployment on Sunday afternoon from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as per the FAA. The launch window for Starlink 6-71 spans from 12:10 p.m. to 4:41 p.m.

Moreover, space enthusiasts are still awaiting Blue Origin’s announcement regarding the launch date for the inaugural flight of its New Glenn rocket. An FAA launch window is identified for early Monday morning, but a final launch date has yet to be established.

For the most recent updates and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Rick Neale is a Space Correspondent at FLORIDA TODAY. Reach out to Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

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