SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday morning, carrying 21 internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. The Starlink 12-11 mission marked the first flight of the Falcon 9’s third-stage booster, which had previously flown on two missions.
The launch occurred at 10:27 a.m. EST, with temperatures in the mid-50s and northwest winds of 14 mph. Despite some risk due to upper-level wind shear, the weather conditions were deemed favorable by the National Weather Service, predicting a 95% chance of success.
After stage separation, the booster landed on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after liftoff. This marks the third flight for the booster, which had previously flown on missions to launch the GOES-U and one Starlink satellite.
Two more launches are scheduled for this week: a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday morning, and another SpaceX Falcon 9 mission from Kennedy Space Center later in the day.
Source: https://eu.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/01/08/spacex-launches-rocket-on-starlink-12-11-mission-wednesday-from-nasas-kennedy-space-center-florida/77506399007