This week's launch schedule is packed with eight missions from various global launch sites. The week begins with a SpaceX Starlink mission on Wednesday, followed by a busy Thursday with five launches. SpaceX and NASA are set to launch Crew-12, a crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS), on Thursday. SpaceX will then conclude the week with two Starlink missions from Florida and California. Here's a breakdown of the key launches:
- Starlink Group 17-34: SpaceX's Falcon 9 will launch 24 Starlink v2 Mini satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Wednesday, February 11, at 6:07 AM PST (14:07 UTC). This mission will be the 600th Falcon 9 mission and the third launch for booster B1100.
- Jielong 3: Chinarocket's four-stage, solid-fueled Jielong 3 will launch from the Haiyang Oriental Spaceport in China on Wednesday. The payload is expected to be an Earth observation satellite, though details remain unknown until after launch.
- USSF-87 (GSSAP 7 & 8): The United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur VC4S will launch three payloads to geosynchronous orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, February 12, at 3:30 AM EST (8:30 UTC). This will be Vulcan's fourth overall mission since its debut in 2024.
- Electro-L n°5: The Russian Proton-M/DM-3 rocket will launch the Elektro-L n°5 weather-monitoring satellite to geostationary orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday, February 12, at 8:52 UTC.
- Crew-12: SpaceX and NASA will launch the Crew-12 mission to the ISS on Thursday, February 12, at 6:01 AM (11:01 UTC) from Florida. This mission will feature a diverse crew and mark Freedom's fifth flight.
- Amazon Leo (LE-01): Arianespace's Ariane 64 will launch 32 Amazon Leo internet satellites to LEO from French Guiana on Thursday, February 12, at 16:45 UTC. This mission will bolster Amazon's internet constellation, which aims to offer services to Earth users.
- Starlink Group 6-103: SpaceX's Falcon 9 will launch 29 Starlink v2 Mini satellites to LEO on Saturday, February 14, at 12:00 AM EST (5:00 UTC) from Florida. Booster B1090 will land on an autonomous droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Starlink Group 17-13: SpaceX's final launch of the week will be on Saturday, February 14, at 2:00 PM PST (22:00 UTC) from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Booster B1081 will land on an autonomous droneship in the Pacific Ocean.
