SpaceX is preparing for it first launch that features a booster landing attempt in the midst of The Bahamas. The droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ is positioned off the coast of the island named Exuma.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 10-12 mission is set for 6 p.m. EST (2300 UTC) on Tuesday, Feb. 18. This will be SpaceX’s 21st orbital launch attempt of the year.
Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour prior to liftoff.
Coming into the launch opportunity, the 45th Weather Squadron, based at Patrick Space Force Base, forecast ideal conditions at liftoff for the primary window with a 95 percent chance for favorable weather. If SpaceX needs to push to its backup window on Wednesday though, conditions deteriorate to a 50 percent chance for good conditions.
“Cool and dry conditions have overspread most of Florida today in the wake of yesterday’s cold front, which is currently sliding into far South Florida. Similar weather will continue into the first part of Tuesday, with winds veering out of the east-northeast,” launch weather officers wrote.
“The deeper moisture associated with this front will work its way back to the north late in the day as the old front starts to creep northwards. This doesn’t look to occur quickly enough to bring a significant threat for Atlantic showers on Tuesday evening for the primary launch window.”
SpaceX will use the Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number B1080, to launch the Starlink 10-12 mission on its 16th flight. It previously launched four Dragon flights to the International Space Station, the European Space Agency’s Euclid observatory, Astra 1P and nine Starlink missions.
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1080 will target a landing on JRTI. If successful, this will be the 110th landing on this droneship and the 410th booster landing to date.
Delegates from The Bahamas visited SpaceX facilities in Florida today ahead of launch on the 17th, carrying a Bahamian flag that Falcon 9 flew to and from space in March 2024 pic.twitter.com/WwmPhgc35B
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 7, 2025
