SpaceX is gearing up for the Saturday morning launch of its Falcon 9 rocket, which is carrying 21 Starlink V2 Mini satellites. This mission marks a significant milestone, as the rocket’s first stage booster will be used for an impressive 26th flight.

This mission will be the 14th for Starlink satellites in 2025. The liftoff of the Starlink 12-8 mission is scheduled for 1:14 a.m. EST (0614 UTC) from launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Prior to the launch, the 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Space Force Base has reported an 80% probability of favorable weather conditions for liftoff.

According to launch weather officers, “A surface high pressure system is expected to develop over the Mid-Atlantic region late Friday into early Saturday.” They noted that elevated onshore winds could lead to coastal showers during the primary launch window, with breezy conditions highlighting the key concerns related to the Cumulus Cloud Rule and Liftoff Winds.

The Falcon 9 mission will employ booster 1067, which has a storied history that includes four Dragon missions to the International Space Station and 14 previous Starlink launches.

Approximately eight minutes post-launch, the plan is to land the booster on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ This would mark the 98th successful booster landing on ASOG and the 409th for SpaceX overall.

Among the 21 Starlink satellites aboard, 13 are equipped with Direct to Cell capabilities, enhancing communication options from space.