SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites Tuesday afternoon Falcon 9 flight

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) to begin the Starlink 12-25 mission on March 18, 2025. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now

SpaceX launched a batch of 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit as it and NASA are in the process of returning four people from the International Space Station back to Earth.

The Starlink 12-25 mission launched using a Falcon 9 rocket departing from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Tuesday afternoon. Liftoff happened at 3:57 p.m. EDT (1957 UTC).



On Monday, the 45th Weather Squadron issued a forecast showing a 95 percent chance for favorable weather conditions at launch with just the liftoff winds as a potential deterrent. Winds were predicted to trend between 18 and 26 miles per hour.

The conditions at the booster recovery zone in the Atlantic Ocean, where SpaceX’s droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ is positioned, was deemed a “moderate” risk. SpaceX has been able to land safely in such conditions and that proved to be the case again today.

SpaceX launched the Starlink 12-25 mission using its first stage booster with the tail number B1077. This was its 19th flight after previously supporting missions like Crew-5, CRS-28, NG-20 and GPS 3 Space Vehicle 06.

A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1077 completed an autonomous landing on the ASOG droneship. It marked the 102nd booster landing for that vessel and the 420th successful booster landing to date.

The mission 23 Starlink satellites onboard to bolster SpaceX’s megaconstellation of more than 7,100 satellites currently on orbit. Among those flying to LEO on Tuesday were 13 that feature Direct to Cell capabilities.

Prior to Tuesday’s launch, SpaceX added a total of 557 of these DTC Starlink satellites to orbit. According to expert orbital tracker and astronomer Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX has 543 of these remaining on orbit as of March 16.