Updated at 10:57 p.m. EST, Feb 26: SpaceX landed the first stage booster on the droneship.
Following two days of scrubbed attempts, SpaceX managed to send 21 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 12-13 mission. SpaceX didn’t state a reason for the previous days of scrubs.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:34 p.m. EST (0334 UTC on Feb. 27).
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, the 45th Weather Squadron, based at Patrick Space Force Base, forecast a 95 percent chance of favorable weather conditions at the opening of the launch window.
SpaceX used a new Falcon 9 first stage booster on this mission. The booster is believed to have the tail number B1092. That booster was spotted rolling by the Launch Complex 39A Press Site at the Kennedy Space Center on Friday morning following the launch of the Starlink 12-14 mission.
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster touched down on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions.’ It marked the 111th booster landing on JRTI and the 413th booster landing to date.
Among the 21 Starlink satellites on board were 13 that feature Direct to Cell capabilities.
Great!!