SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Starlink Group 12-6
Launched
December 31, 2024 · 05:39 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
Starlink Group 12-6 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on December 31, 2024 at 05:39 UTC. The launch window ran from 05:39 to 06:28 UTC. It was SpaceX's 449th launch, 138th this year and humanity's 6,849th orbital launch attempt. It was the 361st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 132nd this year. Booster B1078 flew for the 16th time and landed at Just Read the Instructions. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). The tracked orbit of Starlink 11518, one of 21 catalogued objects, from January 7, 2025, was 286 × 288 km inclined 43.0°. 21 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- Vehicle
- Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceXStarlink
- Booster
- B1078 · flight 16 · Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship at Just Read the Instructions · landed156/157 landed here · 34 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 6-76 · 600 km downrange
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for SpX
- Milestone
- 361st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 132nd this yearSpaceX's 449th launch138th this yearhumanity's 6,849th orbital launch attempt260th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubOrbit: as tracked
Starlink 11518 · NORAD 62462 · 2024-254 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 21 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 2024-254A
- Epoch
- 2025-01-07 18:00:00 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.97987532 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0001404
- Inclination
- 42.9982°
- Ascending node
- 274.9369°
- Arg. of perigee
- 256.2147°
- Mean anomaly
- 30.0006°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 237
- B*
- -0.0015059
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO.
Flight timeline
- T−38MGO for Prop Load
- T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−35MProp Load
- T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−1MStartup
- T−1MTank Press
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M10SMax-Q
- T+2M24SMECO
- T+2M28SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M35SSES-1
- T+3M1SFairing Separation
- T+6M5SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M33SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+7M51SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8M16SStage 1 Landing
- T+8M38SSECO-1
- T+54M3SSES-2
- T+54M4SSECO-2
- T+1H5M11SStarlink Deployment
Catalogued objects
21 catalogued: 21 payloads; 20 still in orbit
- Starlink 11518 · NORAD 62462 · in orbit
- Starlink 11455 · NORAD 62463 · in orbit
- Starlink 11459 · NORAD 62464 · re-entered January 2, 2026
- Starlink 11178 · NORAD 62465 · in orbit
- Starlink 11506 · NORAD 62466 · in orbit
- Starlink 11486 · NORAD 62467 · in orbit
- Starlink 11511 · NORAD 62468 · in orbit
- Starlink 11505 · NORAD 62469 · in orbit
- Starlink 11497 · NORAD 62470 · in orbit
- Starlink 11477 · NORAD 62471 · in orbit
- Starlink 11500 · NORAD 62472 · in orbit
- Starlink 11464 · NORAD 62473 · in orbit
Show 9 more payloads
- Starlink 11502 · NORAD 62474 · in orbit
- Starlink 32657 · NORAD 62475 · in orbit
- Starlink 32734 · NORAD 62476 · in orbit
- Starlink 32733 · NORAD 62477 · in orbit
- Starlink 32707 · NORAD 62478 · in orbit
- Starlink 32705 · NORAD 62479 · in orbit
- Starlink 32743 · NORAD 62480 · in orbit
- Starlink 32753 · NORAD 62481 · in orbit
- Starlink 32699 · NORAD 62482 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Pad
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
194th launch from Launch Complex 39A, 26th this year · 252nd from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Dec 31, 12:39 AM EST, at night
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
8 days after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/31/2024 · source
Unofficial Webcast by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 12/31/2024 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/30/2024 · source
Now targeting Dec 31 at 05:39 UTC
hitura-nobad · 12/30/2024 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/30/2024 · source
Scrubbed for the day.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/29/2024 · source
Now targeting Dec 30 at 08:03 UTC
hitura-nobad · 12/29/2024 · source
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/29/2024 · source
Weather 60% GO
Nosu · 12/28/2024 · source
Questions
When did Starlink Group 12-6 launch?
Starlink Group 12-6 launched on December 31, 2024 at 05:39 UTC. The launch window ran from 05:39 to 06:28 UTC.
Where can I watch Starlink Group 12-6?
Coverage: SpaceX Starlink Group 12-6; SpaceX - Falcon 9 - Starlink 12-6 - LC-39A - Kennedy Space Center - December 31, 2024; Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center with 21 Starlink satellites. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Starlink Group 12-6?
Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet
Where did Starlink Group 12-6 launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. Liftoff was Dec 31, 12:39 AM EST local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1078 flew for the 16th time and landed at Just Read the Instructions.
What orbit did Starlink Group 12-6 reach?
The tracked orbit of Starlink 11518, one of 21 catalogued objects, from January 7, 2025, was 286 × 288 km inclined 43.0°.
How many satellites did Starlink Group 12-6 launch?
21 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 20 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Starlink Group 12-6 part of?
Starlink. About Starlink