SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Starlink Group 6-97
Launched
January 12, 2026 · 21:08 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
Starlink Group 6-97 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on January 12, 2026 at 21:08 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:42 to 21:42 UTC. It was SpaceX's 624th launch, 5th this year and humanity's 7,179th orbital launch attempt. It was the 531st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 5th this year. Booster B1078 flew for the 25th time and landed at Just Read the Instructions. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). The tracked orbit of Starlink 36484, one of 29 catalogued objects, from January 20, 2026, was 302 × 304 km inclined 43.0°. 29 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.
- Watch
- SpaceX Starlink Group 6-97The Space Devs
- Watch Live: SpaceX to launch Starlink internet satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape CanaveralSpaceflight Now
- SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Starlink 6-97NASASpaceflight
- Vehicle
- Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceXStarlink
- Booster
- B1078 · flight 25 · Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship at Just Read the Instructions · landed156/157 landed here · 58 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 6-85 · 600 km downrange
- Mission
- Communications · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for SpX
- Milestone
- 531st Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 5th this yearSpaceX's 624th launch5th this yearhumanity's 7,179th orbital launch attempt6th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubOrbit: as tracked
Starlink 36484 · NORAD 67404 · 2026-005 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 29 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- STARLINK-36484
- Object ID
- 2026-005A
- Epoch
- 2026-01-20 20:00:01 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.92369012 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00017684
- Inclination
- 43.0011°
- Ascending node
- 156.5855°
- Arg. of perigee
- 283.2631°
- Mean anomaly
- 23.0433°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 244
- B*
- -0.0039585294
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO.
Flight timeline
- T+1M12SMax-Q
- T+2M24SMECO
- T+2M27SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M34SSES-1
- T+2M56SFairing Separation
- T+6M6SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M32SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+7M58SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8M22SStage 1 Landing
- T+8M38SSECO-1
- T+53M53SSES-2
- T+53M54SSECO-2
- T+1H5MStarlink Deployment
Catalogued objects
29 catalogued: 29 payloads; 29 still in orbit
- Starlink 36484 · NORAD 67404 · in orbit
- Starlink 36452 · NORAD 67405 · in orbit
- Starlink 36409 · NORAD 67406 · in orbit
- Starlink 36510 · NORAD 67407 · in orbit
- Starlink 36509 · NORAD 67408 · in orbit
- Starlink 36507 · NORAD 67409 · in orbit
- Starlink 36508 · NORAD 67410 · in orbit
- Starlink 36503 · NORAD 67411 · in orbit
- Starlink 36446 · NORAD 67412 · in orbit
- Starlink 36442 · NORAD 67413 · in orbit
- Starlink 36506 · NORAD 67414 · in orbit
- Starlink 36468 · NORAD 67415 · in orbit
Show 17 more payloads
- Starlink 36487 · NORAD 67416 · in orbit
- Starlink 36374 · NORAD 67417 · in orbit
- Starlink 36455 · NORAD 67418 · in orbit
- Starlink 36424 · NORAD 67419 · in orbit
- Starlink 35564 · NORAD 67420 · in orbit
- Starlink 36431 · NORAD 67421 · in orbit
- Starlink 36418 · NORAD 67422 · in orbit
- Starlink 36465 · NORAD 67423 · in orbit
- Starlink 36362 · NORAD 67424 · in orbit
- Starlink 36447 · NORAD 67425 · in orbit
- Starlink 36146 · NORAD 67426 · in orbit
- Starlink 36459 · NORAD 67427 · in orbit
- Starlink 36464 · NORAD 67428 · in orbit
- Starlink 36513 · NORAD 67429 · in orbit
- Starlink 36515 · NORAD 67430 · in orbit
- Starlink 36443 · NORAD 67431 · in orbit
- Starlink 36460 · NORAD 67432 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
357th launch from Space Launch Complex 40, 3rd this year · 1,079th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Jan 12, 4:08 PM EST, in daylight
403 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
2 days 23 hours after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success.
Show 9 earlier updates
Liftoff
hitura-nobad · 1/12/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 1/12/2026 · source
Now targeting Jan 12 at 21:08 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/12/2026 · source
Now targeting Jan 12 at 20:00 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/12/2026 · source
Now targeting Jan 12 at 18:59 UTC
hitura-nobad · 1/12/2026 · source
Now targeting Jan 12 at 17:44 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/12/2026 · source
Updated launch weather, 85% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/11/2026 · source
Now targeting Jan 12 at 17:42 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/9/2026 · source
Now targeting Jan 11 at 18:08 UTC
Cosmic_Penguin · 1/8/2026 · source
Questions
When did Starlink Group 6-97 launch?
Starlink Group 6-97 launched on January 12, 2026 at 21:08 UTC. The launch window ran from 17:42 to 21:42 UTC.
Where can I watch Starlink Group 6-97?
Coverage: SpaceX Starlink Group 6-97; Watch Live: SpaceX to launch Starlink internet satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral; SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Starlink 6-97. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Starlink Group 6-97?
Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet
Where did Starlink Group 6-97 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Liftoff was Jan 12, 4:08 PM EST local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1078 flew for the 25th time and landed at Just Read the Instructions.
What orbit did Starlink Group 6-97 reach?
The tracked orbit of Starlink 36484, one of 29 catalogued objects, from January 20, 2026, was 302 × 304 km inclined 43.0°.
How many satellites did Starlink Group 6-97 launch?
29 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 29 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).
Which program is Starlink Group 6-97 part of?
Starlink. About Starlink