A Guide to the SpaceX Launches at Kennedy Space Center

Crewed Dragon Missions

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft carries astronauts to and from the International Space Station. These missions are a part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, aimed at developing safe and reliable crew transportation to the ISS.

Cargo Resupply Missions

The Dragon spacecraft also regularly delivers cargo to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. They supply essential scientific equipment, food, and other important items to the astronauts on the space station.

Falcon 9 Satellite Launches

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is used to deploy various satellites into orbit for commercial, scientific, and governmental customers. These launches aim to deploy communication satellites, Earth observation satellites, and scientific payloads into space.

Falcon Heavy Launches

The Falcon Heavy, one of the most powerful rockets in the world, has also been launched from the Kennedy Space Center. Its missions aim to deploy larger payloads or send spacecraft on deep-space missions.

SpaceX Crew-9

Date: September 25, 2024

Launch pad: Space Launch Complex 40

NASA and SpaceX are set to launch Crew-9, the ninth crew rotation mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission will utilize the Dragon Freedom spacecraft, previously used in the SpaceX Crew-4 mission. Crew-9 will transport astronauts Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos) to the ISS. The mission will be significant as it marks the first crewed launch from SLC-40, a notable shift from the usual Launch Complex 39A.

• Rocket type: Falcon 9 | Block 5
• Mission objective: NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) aims to ensure continued human spaceflight to the ISS. Crew-9’s astronauts will conduct various scientific experiments and research aboard the ISS for approximately six months.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Europa Clipper

Date: 10 October 2024

Launch pad: Launch Complex 39A

NASA’s Europa Clipper, a robotic solar-powered spacecraft, will launch in October 2024 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft is built to conduct the first detailed investigations of Jupiter's icy moon Europa. It will orbit Jupiter and make flybys of Europa to determine whether there are places below Europa’s surface that could support life.

• Rocket type: Falcon Heavy
• Mission objective: The primary goal is to explore Europa’s surface and subsurface oceans, with particular focus on its habitability for microbial life​.