SpaceX to launch SiriusXM satellite in Florida nighttime liftoff
SpaceX lined up a midnight Florida launch for SiriusXM’s 15,000-pound SXM-11, a relay satellite meant to keep audio flowing to millions of cars and receivers.
SpaceX was set to send SiriusXM’s 15,000-pound SXM-11 satellite toward geosynchronous transfer orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, adding another spacecraft to a fleet refresh built around uninterrupted in-car audio and broader broadcast reach. The launch window opened at 10:25 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40, with a backup opportunity available the next night at the same hour.
The Falcon 9 booster assigned to the mission was flying for the 17th time, and SpaceX planned to land the first stage on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. SXM-11 was scheduled to separate about 34 minutes and 35 seconds after liftoff. SpaceX said the webcast would begin about 15 minutes before launch.
SiriusXM commissioned Maxar Space Systems, now Lanteris Space Systems, to build SXM-11 and SXM-12 on November 29, 2022. At the time, the company said the new satellites would extend continuous and reliable delivery of its audio entertainment content, expand the service area and improve service quality. SiriusXM said more than 150 million SiriusXM-equipped vehicles relied on its satellite network, a system that also supports the company’s 360L platform and satellite-delivered marine and aviation services.
The SXM-11 mission followed a series of recent SiriusXM satellite milestones. SXM-9 launched on December 5, 2024 and entered service on January 29, 2025. SXM-10 launched on June 7, 2025 and was declared operational on August 20, 2025. SiriusXM said SXM-10 could reach approximately 175 million SiriusXM-equipped vehicles on the road, underscoring how much of the company’s audience still depends on orbiting hardware rather than terrestrial streaming alone.
SiriusXM said in January 2025 that SXM-9’s successful deployment, along with expected launches of SXM-10, SXM-11 and SXM-12, would strengthen the health of its satellite fleet for decades. The company said SXM-11 and SXM-12 were expected to launch in 2026 and 2027. For SiriusXM, the Florida launch was not only a technical handoff from one spacecraft to the next but part of a continuing investment in the infrastructure that keeps radios, dashboards and connected services linked across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
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