SpaceX Reschedules Starlink Launch for Saturday Evening

SAN DIEGO, California — SpaceX has pushed back the planned liftoff time for its Starlink 15-1 mission, now set to occur on Saturday, February 22, 2025. The launch will take place at 5:38 p.m. PST (8:38 p.m. EST) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying 22 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit.

The Falcon 9 rocket, designated with the first stage booster tail number B1082, will be launching for the 11th time. Notable previous missions for this booster include USSF-62 and OneWeb Launch 20, as well as eight batches of Starlink satellites. Following the separation of stages, B1082 is expected to land on the droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ approximately eight minutes after liftoff. If successful, this will mark the 121st landing for OCISLY and the 412th successful booster landing overall.

With the upcoming launch, SpaceX will have deployed over 8,000 Starlink satellites since the program began. According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, 376 of these satellites have been launched in 2025. He reports that, as of February 21, 2025, 7,078 Starlink satellites remain in orbit, with the new mission targeting a satellite inclination of 70 degrees, the same as earlier missions that began on September 13, 2021.

SpaceX has not confirmed whether this mission will include any government versions of Starlink satellites, known as Starshield, which were developed in conjunction with Northrop Grumman. The last known launch associated with the National Reconnaissance Office, NROL-126, took place on November 30, 2024, and included 20 Starlink satellites.

In conjunction with the rescheduled launch, NASA managers have given final approval for a crewed mission planned for May 27, 2025. This launch will carry astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station, marking the first orbital flight from U.S. soil since 2011.

This Saturday’s launch will mark the 21st Falcon 9 mission in 2025, with 15 of those missions dedicated to Starlink satellite deployment. SpaceX has made significant strides in rocket reusability, with their Falcon 9 booster achieving a new reusability record this year.

A live webcast of the Starlink 15-1 mission will commence about 30 minutes before the scheduled liftoff. The weather forecast from the 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 75 percent chance of favorable conditions for launch.