SpaceX Targets Tuesday Morning for GPS III-8 Mission Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral

By  //  April 17, 2026

Coverage of the launch can be seen on Space Coast Daily TV

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, April 21 for a Falcon 9 launch of the GPS III-8 mission to medium-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The 15-minute launch window opens at 2:53 a.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available at 2:49 a.m. ET on Wednesday, April 22.

This is the seventh flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched six Starlink missions.

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.