Friday, October 2, 2026
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SpaceX & Launches·Launches

SpaceX confirms three Falcon launches, four landings and Crew-13 docking in under 13 hours

Published , Friday, October 2, 2026 · Updated
In the 5 PM CT update

SpaceX confirms three Falcon launches, four landings and Crew-13 docking in under 13 hours
Graphic: World Brief Now

SpaceX said Friday its teams completed three Falcon-family launches, four first-stage landings at landing zones in Florida and California, and docking of a Crew Dragon to the International Space Station in under 13 hours—the company’s 21st human spaceflight. The sprint on Thursday included NASA’s Crew-13 Falcon 9 from Florida, the Transporter-18 Falcon 9 rideshare of 130 payloads from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and Falcon Heavy’s NROL-97 liftoff at 11:54 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the National Reconnaissance Office—the first Falcon Heavy mission for the NRO, Space.com reported. NROL-97’s two side boosters landed at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station; the center core was not recovered, and the payload remains classified.

Sources
  • Space.com3 for 3! Falcon Heavy rocket launches secret US spy mission to complete SpaceX tripleheader
  • Interesting Engineering3 missions in 13 hours: SpaceX launches astronaut crew, 130 satellites, and secret spy payload

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