SpaceX to launch final three O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from Cape Canaveral

Mission profile and launch window

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, September 13, 2026, to launch the final three O3b mPOWER satellites for SES on a Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The 87-minute launch window opens at 2:49 p.m. EDT (18:49 UTC), with a backup opportunity available on Monday, September 14, in the same window. A live webcast is scheduled to begin about 15 minutes before liftoff on the SpaceX mission page and on X @SpaceX.

This is the first O3b mPOWER mission to fly three satellites simultaneously. Previous mPOWER launches carried fewer spacecraft per flight, so stacking three Boeing-built satellites onto a single Falcon 9 represents a step up in deployment cadence for SES's medium-Earth-orbit broadband constellation. The flight, designated O3b mPOWER-F, will deliver satellites F11, F12, and F13, bringing the constellation to a total of 13 operational spacecraft.

Booster B1080 and landing plans

The Falcon 9 first stage assigned to the mission, booster B1080, is heading into its 29th flight. The booster has previously launched four missions to the International Space Station, the European Space Agency's Euclid observatory, SES's Astra 1P, and 22 batches of Starlink satellites. B1080 was also used to launch the CRS-30 mission in March 2024, the first Dragon flight from SLC-40 after the pad was outfitted with a crew and cargo access tower in 2023.

After stage separation, B1080 will target a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. A successful touchdown would mark the 166th landing on that vessel and the 661st Falcon booster landing to date. The mission is also notable as the 400th orbital launch from SLC-40, of which SpaceX has been responsible for 345.

Weather outlook and deployment timeline

The 45th Weather Squadron forecast a 60 percent chance of favorable weather at the opening of Sunday's launch window, deteriorating to 40 percent favorability by the end of the window. Launch weather officers noted that steering flow remains light leading into the primary window, with a more defined offshore component that may slow the development of the east coast sea breeze until just before or near the start of the window. Risks include showers and storms developing in the immediate vicinity early, transitioning inland later as ongoing activity drifts back toward the Spaceport.

Deployment of the three satellites is timed for roughly 34 to 48 minutes after liftoff on SpaceX's published timeline. Once in medium Earth orbit, the trio will join 10 existing O3b mPOWER satellites already delivering high-throughput connectivity for enterprise and government customers.

Other developments

Separately, SpaceX's Florida cadence continues alongside ongoing Starbase preparations for Starship Flight 14, which trackers still point toward mid-to-late September with production Starlink V3 satellites and recent Ship 42 catch rehearsals at Pad 2.