SpaceX’s Falcon 9 delivers 21 Starlink satellites to orbit

SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

The mission, dubbed Starlink 12-7, lifted off at 5:05 p.m. EST. Notably, up to 13 of the deployed satellites feature Direct-to-Cell capabilities, designed to improve mobile connectivity in remote and underserved areas worldwide.

This launch also marked a significant achievement for the first-stage booster, B1076, which completed its 20th successful flight and landing. According to Space.com, this booster has supported several high-profile missions, including CRS-26, Intelsat IS-40e, and 10 previous Starlink launches.

Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This landing marked the 96th recovery on the vessel and contributed to SpaceX’s total of 402 Falcon 9 booster landings.

SpaceX has ambitious plans for 2025, targeting 160-180 launches this year, requiring an average of 13-15 missions per month. Two more launches are scheduled before the end of January: the SpainSat NG-1 mission on January 29 and the Starlink 11-4 mission on January 30.

This launch highlights SpaceX’s commitment to advancing global connectivity and its consistent success in reusable rocket technology.

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