26.03.2026
Unusual hazard warnings issued by federal agencies point to a possible hypersonic missile test launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Possible dates are Thursday, March 26, or Saturday, March 28, according to Coast Guard-Department of Homeland Security launch hazard maps.
No public announcements have been made, and FLORIDA TODAY left messages seeking information with Department of Defense media officials. In April 2025, a hypersonic missile streaked skyward at great speed during a test flight conducted by the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs.
Now, an online map shows an unspecified launch hazard area will extend from the Cape roughly 1,200 miles eastward over the Atlantic Ocean, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Thursday. In conjunction, a Coast Guard space operations hazard zone for mariners will take effect from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday.
None of the Space Coast's major launch providers have launches scheduled for either day. Here's a look at the next two missions that have been publicly announced at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station:
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift off between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday, March 27, on the Starlink 10-44 mission from Launch Complex 40 .
- A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying 29 Amazon Leo satellites will lift off at 3:53 a.m. (with a 29-minute launch window) on Sunday, March 29, from Launch Complex 41.
In December 2024, the U.S. Army and Navy conducted an unannounced, successful Dark Eagle hypersonic weapon test from Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly 321 Launch space newsletter.
Quelle: Florida Today