SpaceX successfully landed its first stage booster on its droneship after launching a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites. The launch, dubbed Starlink 12-9, was the company’s 10th dedicated Starlink mission of the year and marked the 97th booster landing for ASOG.
The rocket, which used the Falcon 9 first stage booster tail number 1078, took off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:18 p.m. EST. After a southeasterly trajectory, the rocket headed away from the Cape and landed on the ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ droneship approximately eight minutes after liftoff.
The mission included 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, which are part of SpaceX’s beta testing in the US. The company has now launched 466 DTC Starlink satellites and is continuing its recovery efforts for used boosters and payload fairings.
SpaceX is currently planning two more launches: Crew-10 and a private astronaut mission to the ISS with Axiom Space. The company is also training a commercial astronaut mission that will use a Dragon spacecraft for a three-day flight over the poles.
The successful launch and landing marks another milestone in SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to advance its Starlink satellite program and expand its space capabilities.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/02/07/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-21-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-cape-canaveral-9