SpaceX is set to launch a batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell phone capabilities, on its final Falcon 9 flight of 2024. The Starlink 12-6 mission will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 12:39 a.m. EST (0539 UTC) on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
The launch was initially scheduled for Monday, Dec. 30, but slipped to the end of the window due to behind-schedule preparations. The rocket had not rolled out of its hangar as of Sunday evening. Weather conditions are expected to be favorable, with a 60% chance of success according to the 45th Weather Squadron.
This mission marks the 132nd and final Falcon 9 flight of 2024, and the Falcon 9 first stage booster will launch for the 16th time. A successful landing on the SpaceX droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ is expected, marking the 104th booster landing to date.
SpaceX’s record-breaking year for its Falcon family of rockets comes to a close with 134 orbital launches compared to 96 in 2023. The company faces no major setbacks this year but encountered issues with anomalies in flight and upper stage failures.
As SpaceX prepares for more ambitious missions in 2025, including commercial astronaut flights and the launch of Project Kuiper satellites on behalf of Amazon, the Starlink V2 Mini satellite launch is a fitting end to its orbital launch year.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2024/12/29/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-21-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-the-kennedy-space-center