SpaceX F9 : Starlink group 6-96 : CCSFS SLC-40 : 9 January 2026 (21:41 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Thread for the Starlink Group 6-96 launch.

Launch 9 January 2026, at 21:41:00 UTC (4:41 pm EST), from CCSFS SLC-40, on booster 1069-29. The first stage has successfully landed aboard A Shortfall Of Gravitas.

Payload 29 Starlink V2.0 Mini satellites, to a 42.99 degrees inclination orbit on a southeastern trajectory.  Initial orbit 252 x 264 km.

Please use the Starlink Discussion Thread for all general discussion on Starlink.

Check the Starlink Index Thread for links to more Starlink information.


L2 SpaceX: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=60.0

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-posts:

https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html as of December 14

FALCON 9
The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on December 14 at 10:14 p.m. - 1:43 a.m. EST. A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 39A on December 16 earliest at 7:45-11:45 a.m. EST. A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on December 20 at 12:00-3:17 a.m. EST. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches.

Near-term not-Starlink launch schedule; UTC:

✅️ NROL-77 (Dec 9, SLC-40, LZ-2)

CSG-3 (Dec 28, SLC-4E, LZ-4)

Pandora/Twilight (Jan 5, SLC-4E)

Will there be another Starlink launch from Florida after Starlink 6-88 and before Christmas?

Will there be a Starlink launch from SLC-4E after 15-13 and before CSG-3?

Will there be a Starlink launch from SLC-4E after CSG-3 and before Pandora/Twilight?

Christmas and New Year's Day holidays also come into play.

Bolded hypothetical launch would now likely come after Christmas.  Starlink 6-88 now scheduled to launch on December 21.

[zubenelgenubi]

NET January 2026?

Looks like it 167

https://twitter.com/TurkeyBeaver/status/2001424468141297900

Kiko Dontchev

@TurkeyBeaver

Congrats to the entire @SpaceX team for achieving 165 launches🚀 ! While we originally set out for 170, we actually revised the manifest to 165 this summer based on business and manifest needs. We have two more Falcon launches to go in 2025 for extra credit for a total of 1-6-7 🤣!

Worth noting that SL6-99 was also our last single stick from 39A for some time as we put full focus on Falcon Heavy launches and ramping Starship from the Cape!

[RudeDude]

Starlink group 6-96 Wednesday January 7, 2026 1:55pm eastern?

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8097/

[StraumliBlight]

Starlink group 6-96 Wednesday January 7, 2026 1:55pm eastern?

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8097/?utm_source=nsf

Also confirmed by Launch Photography. [Dec 29]

A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on January 7 at 1:55-5:55 p.m. EST.

https://www.cadenaois.org/vpublic_anspdetail.jsp?view=15

Primary Launch Day 7 JAN 1855Z-2338Z
Backup Launch Day 8 JAN 1829Z-2312Z
Backup Launch Day 9 JAN 1803Z-2246Z
Backup Launch Day 10 JAN 1737Z-2220Z
Backup Launch Day 11 JAN 1711Z-2154Z
Backup Launch Day 12 JAN 1645Z-2128Z
Backup Launch Day 13 JAN 1619Z-2102Z

[AndrewM]

https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-6-96

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.

This will be the 29th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and 24 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

B1069-29 confirmed.

https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynKOMpQrgQJR

[dabomb6608]

Looks like I will be somewhere between Dominican Republic and Nassau on a cruise this day. What are the chances of being able to see anything that far out with it being a mid day launch? Good news is trajectory has it going southeast.

[zubenelgenubi]

Starlink group 6-96 Wednesday January 7, 2026 1:55pm eastern?
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8097/

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt

SPACEX STARLINK 6-96, CAPE CANAVERAL SFB FL
PRIMARY:   01/07/26   1855Z-2338Z
BACKUP:      01/08/26   1829Z-2312Z

NEXT PLANNING WEBINAR: 1815Z
291659-291859
25/12/29 16:59  DCCOPS.lxstn35

Edited year

[catdlr]

Starlink group 6-96 Wednesday January 7, 2026 1:55pm eastern?
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/8097/

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt

SPACEX STARLINK 6-96, CAPE CANAVERAL SFB FL
PRIMARY:   01/07/25   1855Z-2338Z
BACKUP:      01/08/25   1829Z-2312Z

NEXT PLANNING WEBINAR: 1815Z
291659-291859
25/12/29 16:59  DCCOPS.lxstn35

Someone at the FAA needs to reprogram their dates.  Is it 2025 or 2026?

SPACEX STARLINK 6-96, CAPE CANAVERAL SFB FL
PRIMARY:   01/07/25   1855Z-2338Z
BACKUP:   01/08/25   1829Z-2312Z

[Steven Pietrobon]

PDF of online press kit.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Delayed to January 8 per SpaceX's launches page.

[zubenelgenubi]

https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-6-96
Launch 8 January 18:29 to 22:29 UTC = 1:29 to 5:29 pm EST
This launch is now a back-to-back use of JRTI.

[catdlr]

For those wishing to view this launch on-site, the Apollo Gantry site has reopened and provides a closer view than the NSAS press site.

https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/event/spacex-falcon-9-starlink-6-96/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=kennedy_starlink6-96_01052026

[catdlr]

Here is a consolidated post of available video links for this launch:

SpaceX's direct live broadcast on
Website: https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-6-96
 Twitter:  https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynKOMpQrgQJR

NSF Live Coverage:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hj3ZkS0tJQo

SpaceX Re-broadcast alternatives on YouTube:
Space Affairs:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=NMvlhFFZoZc

Replay supplied by The Space Devs (15 min after the broadcast end):  https://youtube.com/@thespacedevs/videos

Summary Video provided by SciNews (15 min after the broadcast ends):  https://youtube.com/@SciNewsRo/videos

Post Launch Extras:

CelesTrak has ephemeris-based SupGP data: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/supplemental/
Max-Qproductions by Pete Carstens: https://www.youtube.com/@maxqproductions1

[zubenelgenubi]

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt

PLANNED LAUNCH/REENTRY:
SPACEX STARLINK 6-96, CAPE CANAVERAL SFB FL
PRIMARY:   01/08/25   1829Z-2312Z
BACKUP:      01/09/25   1803Z-2346Z

SPACEX STARLINK 6-97, CAPE CANAVERAL SFB FL
PRIMARY:   01/10/25   1834Z-2317Z
BACKUP:      01/11/25   1808Z-2251Z

SPACEX TWILIGHT, VANDENBERG SFB CA
PRIMARY:   01/11/25   1309Z-1803Z
BACKUP:      01/12/25   1309Z-1803Z

SPACEX STARLINK 6-98, CAPE CANAVERAL SFB FL
PRIMARY:   01/14/25   1801Z-2244Z
BACKUP:      01/15/25   1735Z-2218Z

NEXT PLANNING WEBINAR: 0015Z
052225-060059
26/01/05 22:25  DCCOPS.lxstn35

[zubenelgenubi]

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/supplemental/
Supplemental GP Element Sets
Current as of 2026 Jan 07 06:17:06 UTC (Day 007)

Starlink G6-96 Pre-Launch   
Derived from a pre-launch Starlink-G6-96 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite.
Launch: 2026-01-08 18:29:00 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 19:34:07.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 18:29:00 UTC to 2026-01-08 18:32:49 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #1   
Launch: 2026-01-08 18:32:50 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 19:37:57.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 18:32:50 UTC to 2026-01-08 18:40:49 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #2   
Launch: 2026-01-08 18:51:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 19:56:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 18:51:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 18:56:59 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #3   
Launch: 2026-01-08 18:59:00 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 20:04:07.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 18:59:00 UTC to 2026-01-08 18:59:19 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #4   
Launch: 2026-01-08 19:00:30 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 20:05:37.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 19:00:30 UTC to 2026-01-08 19:01:29 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #5   
Launch: 2026-01-08 19:01:30 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 20:06:37.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 19:01:30 UTC to 2026-01-08 19:02:09 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #6   
Launch: 2026-01-08 19:34:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 20:39:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 19:34:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 19:35:29 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #7   
Launch: 2026-01-08 19:39:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 20:44:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 19:39:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 19:44:19 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #8   
Launch: 2026-01-08 19:44:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 20:49:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 19:44:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 19:58:29 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #9   
Launch: 2026-01-08 19:58:30 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:03:37.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 19:58:30 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:12:49 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #10   
Launch: 2026-01-08 20:12:50 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:17:57.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 20:12:50 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:15:49 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #11   
Launch: 2026-01-08 20:25:10 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:30:17.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 20:25:10 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:27:09 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #12   
Launch: 2026-01-08 20:27:10 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:32:17.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 20:27:10 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:32:59 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #13   
Launch: 2026-01-08 20:35:00 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:40:07.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 20:35:00 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:35:29 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #14   
Launch: 2026-01-08 20:36:30 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:41:37.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 20:36:30 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:41:19 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #15   
Launch: 2026-01-08 20:41:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 21:46:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 20:41:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 20:41:59 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #16   
Launch: 2026-01-08 21:10:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 22:15:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 21:10:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 21:15:29 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #17   
Launch: 2026-01-08 21:20:30 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 22:25:37.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 21:20:30 UTC to 2026-01-08 21:24:19 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #18   
Launch: 2026-01-08 21:24:20 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 22:29:27.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 21:24:20 UTC to 2026-01-08 21:38:29 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #19   
Launch: 2026-01-08 21:38:30 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 22:43:37.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 21:38:30 UTC to 2026-01-08 21:50:09 UTC.

Backup Launch Opportunity #20   
Launch: 2026-01-08 21:59:00 UTC.
Deploy: 2026-01-08 23:04:07.180 UTC.
Launch window: 2026-01-08 21:59:00 UTC to 2026-01-08 22:07:09 UTC.

https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/supplemental/table.php?FILE=starlink-g6-96&FORMAT=tle
Pre-Launch Derived Orbit:
252 km x 264 km x 42.99 deg

[catdlr]

T-24 hours

[catdlr]

Great news on the launch of constraints based on weather issues.

[catdlr]

T-12 hours

[RudeDude]

Launch delayed 3.5 hours. 4:59pm local time (eastern). According to NSF app