SpaceX successfully launched its first batch of Starlink satellites on Wednesday night, overcoming a series of delays and setbacks. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 21 Starlink V2 Mini satellites, lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:35 p.m. EDT.
The launch came after a fuel leak in an unrelated Falcon 9 booster caused its destruction shortly after landing on March 2. High ground-level winds also prevented the launch from moving forward on Monday and forced SpaceX to delay its fueling process on Tuesday.
However, favorable weather conditions prevailed, with the 45th Weather Squadron forecasting a greater than 95 percent chance of successful liftoff. The Starlink 12-21 mission featured Direct to Cell capabilities and marked SpaceX’s first launch from Florida’s Coast since a similar incident on March 2.
Despite the challenges, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully landed on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” just over eight minutes after liftoff. This was the 101st booster landing for ASOG and the 333rd to date.
SpaceX’s vice president of Launch, Kiko Dontchev, attributed the delay to “historically bad” sea states on the West Coast and slower fairing refurbishment timelines due to bad weather. He also acknowledged that the incident with B1086, a booster that suffered a fuel leak, provided an opportunity for SpaceX to improve the reliability of its fleet.
The launch marked a significant milestone in SpaceX’s efforts to expand its Starlink satellite constellation. The mission is now underway, and NASA has given clearance for the Crew-10 mission to proceed despite unresolved issues with B1086.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/03/10/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-21-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-cape-canaveral-15