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A Falcon 9 rocket launched by SpaceX carried 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Monday evening from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The mission, designated Starlink 12-7, lifted off at 5:05 p.m. EST. Among the satellites deployed, 13 were equipped with Direct-to-Cell capabilities aimed at enhancing mobile connectivity. The mission also marked a significant milestone for the first-stage booster, completing its 20th flight and successful landing.

Mission Details

According to mission details provided by SpaceX, as reported by space.com, the booster, identified as B1076, previously supported various launches, including CRS-26, Intelsat IS-40e, and 10 other Starlink missions. On this occasion, the booster landed approximately eight minutes after liftoff on the droneship, “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX highlighted that this marked the 96th recovery on the vessel and contributed to the overall total of 402 Falcon 9 booster landings.

Launch Conditions and Mission Objectives

Weather conditions were favourable for the launch, with a 95 percent chance of acceptable conditions predicted by the 45th Weather Squadron. Only a minimal risk of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation was noted in the forecast.

The mission represents SpaceX’s 12th launch of the year, eight of which have been Starlink-focused. In 2024, SpaceX completed 134 orbital missions, as noted in its annual progress report. For 2025, the company is targeting an ambitious schedule, planning between 160 to 180 launches across its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy platforms. This goal would require a monthly average of approximately 13 to 15 missions to meet the projection.

SpaceX has also scheduled two additional launches before the end of January: the SpainSat NG-1 mission on January 29 and the Starlink 11-4 mission on January 30, demonstrating the company’s high-paced operations to meet its 2025 objectives.

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Mysterious Asteroid Impact Found in Australia, But the Crater is Missing

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Scientists have identified 11-million-year-old glass fragments in South Australia that record a massive asteroid impact never before known. Despite the event’s magnitude, the crater remains undiscovered, raising new questions about how often large asteroids have struck Earth and their role in shaping its surface.

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Ryugu Samples Reveal Ancient Water Flow on Asteroid for a Billion Years

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Microscopic samples from asteroid Ryugu reveal that liquid water once flowed through its parent body long after its formation. The finding, led by University of Tokyo scientists, suggests that such asteroids may have delivered far more water to early Earth than previously thought, offering a new perspective on how our planet’s oceans originated.

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Scientists Create Most Detailed Radio Map of Early Universe Using MWA

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Scientists using the Murchison Widefield Array in Australia analyzed nine years of radio data to study the elusive 21-cm hydrogen signal from the universe’s dark ages. Their findings suggest early black holes and stars had already heated cosmic gas, marking the first observational evidence of this warming phase.

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