SpaceX to Launch 21 Starlink Satellites with Direct to Cell Capabilities

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is set to launch 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. The Falcon 9 rocket, scheduled for liftoff at 5:05 p.m. EST (2205 UTC), will mark SpaceX’s 12th launch of the month and continue its ambitious 2025 launch schedule.

The mission, designated Starlink 12-7, will deploy the satellites into low Earth orbit to expand SpaceX’s global internet network. The Falcon 9 booster, tail number B1076, will make its 20th flight, having previously supported missions like CRS-26 and Intelsat IS-40e. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, the booster will attempt to land on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ marking the 96th landing on this vessel and the 402nd booster landing overall.

SpaceX aims to maintain a high launch tempo in 2025, targeting between 160 and 180 launches for the year. This would require an average of 13 to 15 launches per month. In 2024, the company completed 134 orbital missions, including two Falcon Heavy flights, with November being its busiest month at 16 launches.

The 45th Weather Squadron forecasts a 95% chance of favorable weather for the launch, with only a minor risk of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation. Viewing opportunities for the launch are available at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which is operated by Delaware North and funded entirely by visitors.

SpaceX’s Starlink constellation aims to provide reliable and affordable internet access globally, particularly in underserved areas. The inclusion of Direct to Cell capabilities in this mission highlights the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance connectivity.

Meanwhile, SpaceX continues preparations for its next Crew Dragon mission, which will carry veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station as early as this spring. The capsule was recently delivered to Cape Canaveral from a California factory.

In related news, ground controllers on Saturday commanded the International Space Station’s Canadian-built robotic arm to release a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule, concluding its nearly four-week stay at the orbiting lab.