SpaceX Launches Final Satellites to Complete Global High-Speed Internet Network
Cape Canaveral, Sunday, 13 September 2026.
SpaceX deployed three Boeing-built satellites on Sunday, September 13, 2026, using a record-setting booster to complete SES’s 13-satellite medium Earth orbit constellation for global enterprise and military communications.
Launch Schedule and Vehicle Configuration
SpaceX is targeting Sunday, September 13, 2026, for the launch of three O3b mPOWER satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station [1][4]. The 87-minute launch window is scheduled to open at 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 UTC), with live coverage planned to begin approximately 15 minutes prior to liftoff [1][4]. This mission utilizes Falcon 9 booster B1080, which is set to make its 29th flight, having previously supported missions such as the ESA Euclid observatory launch and multiple International Space Station flights [1].
Following stage separation, the first-stage booster is scheduled to land on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff [1]. This recovery attempt marks the 166th landing on this specific vessels and contributes to the overall 661st Falcon booster landing achieved by the company [1]. The mission represents a significant milestone as the 400th orbital flight from SLC-40, with SpaceX conducting 345 of those launches from the pad [1].
Constellation Specifications and Capabilities
The deployment of these three spacecraft will complete the O3b mPOWER constellation, bringing the total number of satellites in medium Earth orbit to 13 [1]. Each satellite features a dry mass of 1,900 kg, meaning the three satellites launched today represent a total payload dry mass of 5700 kg for this specific mission [1]. The satellites are scheduled to deploy from the Falcon 9 second stage beginning approximately 34 minutes after liftoff, with staggered deployment intervals of seven minutes [1].
Xavier Bertran, Chief Product and Innovation Officer of SES, noted that the delivery of these final three satellites allows the company to ramp up constellation capabilities to meet growing commercial and government demand [1]. The satellites are expected to enter service by mid-2027 following orbit-raising and commissioning phases, validating the software-defined payload technologies employed by Boeing Satellite Systems International [1][4].
Launch Site History and Weather Conditions
Space Launch Complex 40 was upgraded with a crew and cargo access tower in 2023, enabling Dragon missions starting in March 2024, though this mission utilizes the pad for commercial satellite deployment [1]. The 45th Weather Squadron has predicted a 60 percent chance of favorable weather conditions at the window’s opening, though this forecast deteriorates to 40 percent by the end of the window due to sea breeze and potential storm development [1].
Launch weather officers indicated that while steering flow remains light leading into the primary launch window, high-resolution models suggest enough offshore component to slow the development of the east coast sea breeze until near the start of the window [1]. If the primary window on September 13 is missed, SpaceX has listed a backup window for Monday, September 14 with the same timing [4].