Fisheye blastoff view Pre-sunset blastoff SpaceX Starlink with Ocean Going Reflecting Cruise Ship, Beachgoers and Jean Wright of Space UpClose in view at Jetty Park beach and pier on the Atlantic Ocean. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
JETTY PARK BEACH/PORT CANAVERAL, FL – Spectators were treated to a beautiful pre-sunset blastoff Friday later afternoon, Jan. 9, when SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at last after several hours of delays on another Starlink mission as it soared over Jetty Park beach and pier populated by many beachgoers frolicking in the Atlantic ocean waves and as multiple cruise ships sailed out of port on a busy afternoon.
The veteran SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rumbled to the delight of the roaring crowd and put on a great show with folks and kids and cruise ships reflecting in the waves as the flight headed off into mostly sunny skies with wispy clouds on a southeasterly trajectory – and a long exhaust plume seen overhead
Pre-sunset blastoff SpaceX Starlink view at Jetty Park beach and pier on the Atlantic Ocean. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2226 UTC), on Jan. 9. from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Pre-sunset blastoff SpaceX Starlink view at Jetty Park beach and pier on the Atlantic Ocean. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
Enjoy our photos from the Space UpClose team of Ken Kremer and Jean Wright watching from Jetty Park beach
A total of 6 cruise ship departed Port Canaveral as we waited for the launch on a busy and pleasant Friday afternoon
Pre-sunset blastoff SpaceX Starlink view at Jetty Park beach and pier on the Atlantic Ocean. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
This counts as the 2nd launch of 2026 following the record breaking launch cadence of 2025 with hosted 109 liftoffs – mostly from SpaceX.
The Space Force which runs the Eastern range as Space Launch Delta 45 expects another record shattering year with perhaps 120 or more liftoffs – featured perhaps the inaugural launches of one of more new rockets at new and/or refurbished/rebuilt pads
60 second Daylight streak to orbit SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission: Soars over Jetty Park beach and pier and beachgoers with long exhaust plume heading on southeasterly trajectory after liftoff near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 2 x 30 second composite image. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
The payload comprises 29 Starlink broadband internet satellites launch to low-Earth orbit on a recycled Falcon 9 on its 29th mission to space and back
The Falcon first stage booster is tail number B1069.29.
It previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and now 25 Starlink missions.
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG) droneship – which was prepositioned near The Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean.
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
Last month in Dec. 2025 we witnessed 3 Falcon 9 liftoffs while cruise in the Caribbean which all launch on a similar south-easterly trajectory..
See our photos.
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-96 mission took place near sunset at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 UTC), on Jan. 9, 2026 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpCloseSpace UpClose team of Ken Kremer and Jean Wright watching from Jetty Park beach pose with rocket high altitude exhaust plume post launch. Credit: Ken Kremer / Space UpClose
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news. Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics. Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events.
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