SpaceX Launch Today Reminds the Market It Still Does Cool Things in Space

A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster returns after launching a Crew Dragon capsule into orbit on Oct. 1. NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov were on board. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA) (AFP via Getty Images)

With SpaceX talking about dominating AI and buying spectrum to disrupt telecom, it’s easy to forget that the company still does a lot of cool things in space. Tuesday serves as a reminder as SpaceX will take supplies to the International Space Station.

The launch can be watched here. The rendezvous and docking can be watched here on Oct. 15.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule will leave Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying some three tons of equipment to the orbiting space station.

SpaceX has launched its Falcon 9 more than 110 times so far in 2026. The company is on pace for about 150 Falcon 9 launches in 2026. That is down from 165 in 2025.

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SpaceX is seeing more competition. The Falcon 9 has accounted for about 47% of all launches this year. That is down a little from Falcon 9’s 50% share in 2025.

It has a plan to remedy that, though. Its fully reusable Starship rocket is the largest launch system ever built by humans. It’s almost twice as tall as a Falcon 9 with roughly six times the payload capacity.

Starship will enable SpaceX to expand its broadband and AI businesses. It will also provide enhanced service to NASA and SpaceX’s other commercial partners.

SpaceX stock was down 0.7% in premarket trading at $162.30, while S&P 500 futures were off 0.1%.

Write to Al Root at allen.root@barrons.com.

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