You've probably been refreshing your feed wondering about the SpaceX launch today time, and honestly, the answer is a bit of a "good news, bad news" situation. If you were looking for a Falcon 9 to streak across the sky this Tuesday, January 13, 2026, you might need to adjust your watch.
While SpaceX has been lighting up the coast at a breakneck pace this month, there actually isn't a Falcon 9 or Starship liftoff scheduled for today. We just missed a big one. Yesterday afternoon, January 12, a Falcon 9 successfully hauled 29 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral at 4:08 p.m. EST. It was a textbook mission—the kind that's becoming so routine we almost forget how insane it is to land a skyscraper on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
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When is the next SpaceX launch?
So, when can you actually see the next one? The team at Pad 40 isn't resting for long. The very next window opens up tomorrow, Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
SpaceX is prepping for the Starlink 6-98 mission. Right now, the target SpaceX launch today time (well, for the upcoming mission) is roughly 1:01 p.m. EST. These windows are notoriously shifty. Sometimes they're "instantaneous," meaning if the clock hits zero and the weather isn't perfect, they scrub. Other times, they have a four-hour "backup" window that lets them wait out a stray cloud or a rogue boat in the keep-out zone.
Here is the quick-and-dirty breakdown of what is coming up:
- January 14 (Tomorrow): Starlink 6-98. Cape Canaveral, Florida. 1:01 p.m. EST.
- January 16: NROL-105. This is a big one for the National Reconnaissance Office. Launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Target time is 8:18 p.m. PST.
- January 18: Another Starlink batch (Group 6-100) out of Florida at 2:04 p.m. EST.
Basically, if you’re in Florida, you’re getting a rocket show every 48 to 72 hours lately. It’s wild.
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Why the "Today" Search is So Tricky
SpaceX’s internal schedule is basically a living document. You might see a launch listed for "Tuesday" on a calendar you checked three weeks ago, but a liquid oxygen sensor acting up or a gust of high-altitude wind can push that date in a heartbeat.
Honestly, the January 11 launch of the Pandora exoplanet satellite was a great example. It went off from Vandenberg carrying a 716-pound telescope designed to peek at atmospheres of worlds light-years away. Missions like that have much stricter windows than Starlink batches. With Starlink, Elon's team can afford to be a bit more flexible with the "SpaceX launch today time" because they aren't trying to hit a specific orbital intercept with a multi-billion dollar telescope or a space station.
What Most People Get Wrong About Launch Times
People usually look at the "T-Minus" clock and think that's the only thing that matters. But for the SpaceX launch today time to actually result in fire and smoke, a dozen things have to go right.
- The Range: The US Space Force actually runs the "range" (the airspace and ocean). If there's a different mission or a safety issue, they can pull the plug.
- Booster Recovery: If the seas are too rough at the landing zone—where the droneship "Just Read the Instructions" or "A Shortfall of Gravitas" is waiting—SpaceX might delay. They really don't like losing those boosters; they're the secret sauce to making spaceflight cheap.
- Static Fires: Sometimes they do a "dry dress rehearsal" where they fire the engines while the rocket is bolted to the ground. If the data looks "squiffy," they'll push the launch time by 24 hours.
How to Watch the Next One
Since there isn't a liftoff today, you have time to get your setup ready for tomorrow’s Starlink mission.
Don't rely on third-party streams that just rebroadcast old footage (there are a ton of those on YouTube "Live" right now, and they're basically scams). Go straight to the source. SpaceX usually starts their official "X" (formerly Twitter) broadcast about 5 to 10 minutes before the SpaceX launch today time.
If you are lucky enough to be on the Space Coast in Florida or near Lompoc in California, the sound is the part the camera never quite catches. It’s not a "whoosh." It’s a crackle that you feel in your chest.
Actionable Steps for Space Fans
If you're trying to keep track of this without losing your mind, here is what you should actually do:
- Download a Launch App: "Next Spaceflight" or "Space Launch Now" are the gold standards. They pull directly from FAA filings and NOTAMs (Notice to Air Missions).
- Check the Weather: Use the 45th Weather Squadron's forecast if the launch is in Florida. They give a "Probability of Violation" (POV) percentage. If the POV is 40%, there's a 40% chance the weather will cause a scrub.
- Look for the "Nebula" Effect: If a launch happens right at twilight (just after sunset or before sunrise), keep your eyes peeled. The sun hits the exhaust plume while the ground is in darkness, creating a "space jellyfish" in the sky. It's easily the most beautiful thing you'll ever see.
Tomorrow’s 1:01 p.m. EST window is looking "Go" for now, so keep your afternoon clear.