On Monday evening, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, successfully deploying 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
Starlink 12-7 mission lifted off at 5:05 p.m. EST, featuring 13 satellites equipped with Direct-to-Cell technology to enhance mobile connectivity. Notably, this mission marked the 20th successful flight and landing of the first-stage booster, a significant milestone in SpaceX’s reusable rocket program.
The B1076 booster has an impressive history, supporting various missions, including CRS-26, Intelsat IS-40e, and ten other Starlink launches. Approximately eight minutes post-lift-off, B1076 landed on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean. This landing was the 96th successful recovery for the vessel, contributing to a total of 402 Falcon 9 booster recoveries.
The launch benefited from favourable weather conditions. The 45th Weather Squadron predicted a 95% chance of suitable weather and only a slight risk of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation. This launch was part of SpaceX’s broader initiative, representing the 12th launch of the year and the eighth focusing on Starlink.
In 2024, SpaceX successfully carried out 134 orbital missions and aspires to elevate this number to 160 and 180 launches in 2025. The company must follow a rigorous schedule of approximately 13 to 15 monthly missions to achieve this goal.
As part of its accelerated launch schedule, SpaceX has two more missions planned before the end of January: the SpainSat NG-1 mission on January 29 and the Starlink 11-4 mission on January 30. These missions underscore SpaceX’s commitment to advancing its capabilities and meeting its high-paced operational goals for 2025.
