Watch Live: SpaceX Rocket Launch Today – Falcon 9 Liftoff Time, Live Stream & Mission Updates

SpaceX Makes History With Pre-Dawn Axiom-4 Liftoff and Same-Day Starlink Launch Cape Canaveral, Fla.—In a dramatic start to Wednesday’s “doubleheader” launch day, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket roared off NASA’s Launch Complex 39A at 2:31 a.m. ET, carrying four private astronauts to the International Space Station on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). The crewed Dragon capsule is slated to dock with the ISS early Thursday, kicking off a two-week stay focused on microgravity research and commercial technology demonstrations. Who’s on board • Commander Peggy Whitson (retired NASA astronaut) • Pilot John Shoffner (entrepreneur) • Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı (Turkey’s first astronaut) and Marcus Wandt (ESA) Their flight represents the fourth all-private expedition arranged by Houston-based Axiom Space, underscoring a fast-growing market for commercial missions to low-Earth orbit. Second launch coming this afternoon SpaceX will follow up only hours later with another Falcon 9 slated to loft 27 Starlink internet satellites at 12:33 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40, weather permitting. If successful, it will mark the company’s 57th orbital launch of 2025 and the 19th Starlink mission this year, further expanding the broadband megaconstellation. How to watch live • NASA TV and SpaceX’s YouTube channel are streaming continuous coverage of Ax-4 rendezvous and docking. • A second webcast will begin roughly 15 minutes before the Starlink countdown, featuring the booster’s eighth flight and drone-ship landing attempt in the Atlantic. Why it matters • Record cadence: Two Falcon 9 flights within 10 hours highlights SpaceX’s push toward airline-style operations. • Commercial crew growth: Axiom’s mission accelerates plans to attach the first private ISS module in 2026. • Connectivity expansion: Today’s Starlink batch will boost the constellation past 6,000 active satellites, targeting improved service over Africa and South Asia. Launch day timeline (ET) 02:31 a.m. Ax-4 liftoff, LC-39A 03:00 a.m. Dragon first-stage landing on “Just Read the Instructions” 08:15 a.m. ISS approach initiation 11:02 a.m. Dragon docking (approx.) 12:33 p.m. Starlink liftoff, SLC-40 12:41 p.m. First-stage landing on “A Shortfall of Gravitas” Viewing tips for Florida spectators Best public spots include Playalinda Beach, Jetty Park, and the Max Brewer Bridge. Arrive early; causeway traffic is expected to intensify around noon as crowds return for the second launch. What’s next After Ax-4 returns, SpaceX’s launch manifest shows a Transporter-14 rideshare from Vandenberg and the debut static-fire of Starship’s Super Heavy Booster 13 in Texas later this summer. Stay tuned for updated schedules, booster reuse milestones, and Starlink rollout maps as the company continues to redefine rapid access to orbit.