File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX
SpaceX launched its second Falcon 9 launch of the night with the Starlink 7-12 mission soaring skyward from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 9:57 p.m. PST (12:57 a.m. EST, 0557 UTC).
It follows the Starlink 6-38 mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center less than five hours earlier. The West Coast launch was adding another 22 Starlink satellites to a constellation with more than 5,300 satellites on orbit.
The Falcon 9 booster making this launch, tail number B1075, was on its ninth flight, all of which have launched from SLC-4E. It previously launched the Space Development Agency (SDA) 0A mission, the SARah 2 & 3 satellites and six prior Starlink missions.
About 8.25 minutes after launch, B1075 landed on the droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ This was the 81st landing on this droneship and the 268th overall Falcon 9 booster landing.
Here are the most current stats:
9th launch & landing of B1075
64th SpaceX launch from SLC-4E
132nd orbital launch from SLC-4E
294th Falcon 9 launch
81st landing on OCISLY
268th Falcon 9 booster landing
4th orbital launch from California in 2024
9th SpaceX launch in 2024
20th orbital launch in 2024