Watch SpaceX Launch 21 Starlink Satellites: Falcon 9 Rocket Takes Off from Cape Canaveral!

SpaceX is gearing up for an exciting launch! This month, their Falcon 9 rocket will take flight for the Starlink 12-20 mission, marking the first since the company hit a milestone of 5 million subscribers for its satellite internet service.

Launch is scheduled for Sunday, March 2, at 9:24 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission will be the 26th Falcon 9 launch of the year.

The Falcon 9’s first stage booster, B1086, is set to launch for its fifth time. This booster has had a busy career, previously serving on the Falcon Heavy mission for GOES-U, and launching two Starlink missions among others. After launching the 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 that offer Direct to Cell capabilities, B1086 will attempt a landing on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” about eight minutes after liftoff. If all goes well, this will be the 112th landing on that ship.

On social media, Starlink celebrated its 5 million subscriber milestone, sharing a video that excited many followers. Interestingly, this video replaced an earlier version that included imagery some viewers thought might show Starshield satellites, a government variant of Starlink. SpaceX has not explained why the original video was removed.

Starlink is connecting more than 5M people with high-speed internet across 125 countries, territories, and many other markets. Thank you to all of our customers around the world!🛰️🌎❤️→ https://t.co/zR6w4t1qM9

Meanwhile, another SpaceX mission is facing delays. The launch of NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH spacecraft from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California has been postponed three times due to an unspecified issue. NASA now plans to launch no earlier than Tuesday, March 4, to allow teams more time to evaluate the rocket’s hardware.

SPHEREx will map the sky and study the universe over a two-year mission, while PUNCH, which consists of four satellites, aims to observe how the Sun’s corona turns into solar wind, providing valuable insights into solar activity.

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