SpaceX Delays Starlink Launch Amid Busy February for Florida’s Space Coast

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX has delayed its second Starlink mission of the month, originally scheduled for Feb. 3, 2025, to Tuesday, Feb. 4, due to unspecified reasons. The launch, part of a busy February for Florida’s Space Coast, will carry 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Starlink 12-3 mission, set for 3:37 a.m. EST (0837 UTC) on Tuesday, will mark SpaceX’s 230th orbital launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40). The Falcon 9 first stage booster, B1069, will make its 21st flight, having previously supported missions like CRS-24, Eutelsat Hotbird-F1, and 16 Starlink flights. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, the booster will attempt a landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ aiming for SpaceX’s 108th successful landing on the vessel and its 404th overall.

This mission is part of a broader surge in activity at NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which are preparing for multiple launches in February. These include the NASA-SpaceX Intuitive Machines moon lander mission, as well as ongoing U.S. and Russian missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS, now in its 20th year of continuous human occupation, remains a critical hub for scientific research despite challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic.

Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage of the Starlink launch, beginning approximately one hour before liftoff. For updates and space news, visit Spaceflight Now’s website or contact FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at [email protected].