Superstitious? Not SpaceX. SpaceX rocket launch set for Friday the 13th from Cape

Brooke Edwards, Florida Today
Updated ·2 min read

This story has been updated with the latest launch information.

SpaceX appears not to be deterred by superstitions, as they plan to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on Friday the 13th.

A National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational advisory indicates a four-hour launch window on the night of Friday, December 13. According to SpaceX, launch will occur at 8:04 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral. This mission is called RRT-1.

The Space Coast Office of Tourism lists the launch as GPSIII SV10, indicating the launch of a GPS navigation satellite. The GPSIII satellites are built by Lockheed Martin specifically for a Space Force Global Positioning System satellite constellation. Lockheed Martin describes these satellites as having "new technology and advanced capabilities".

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The company also plans to launch a rocket on a Starlink mission earlier on Friday from Vandenburg Space Force Base. The first of double Friday the 13th SpaceX launches will occur during a four-and-a-half hour window which open 2:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. PT. Like the Florida missions, SpaceX will stream the launch five minutes prior to liftoff.

Rocket launches and Friday the 13th

The last launch which occurred on a Friday the 13th from Florida was NASA's Psyche mission. The six-year mission to asteroids launched atop a Falcon Heavy on Friday, October 13, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center. The launch went off without issue − as well as the double landing of the side boosters.

Add rockets to any room: FLORIDA TODAY's 2025 Space Launch Calendar is here

However, the number 13 can be enough to make space enthusiasts weary. While it did not launch on a Friday, the ill-fated Apollo 13 had to forego a moon landing in April 1970 when an onboard oxygen tank exploded. After quick thinking by NASA and a perilous journey back to Earth, the crew of three astronauts survived to tell the story.

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As a result of the incident, the year 1970 did not see a moon landing. The next mission, Apollo 14, did not launch until January 31, 1971.

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Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Superstitious? Not SpaceX. Friday the 13th Falcon 9 rocket launch on tap