Falcon 9 successfully lands off the coast of The Bahamas for the first time.
On Tuesday, February 18, at 6:21 p.m. ET (11:21 UTC), SpaceX's Falcon 9 Block 5 successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This mission marked the 16th flight for the first stage booster B1080, which had previously launched Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, Astra 1P, NG-21, and now 10 Starlink missions. After stage separation, the first stage successfully landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing its first landing off the coast of The Bahamas.
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The first stage was triumphantly recovered from Bahamian territorial waters, thanks to an exciting agreement that allowed SpaceX to land in the region! In exchange, SpaceX showcased its impressive equipment and spacesuit, while also bringing Starlink connectivity to schools and emergency response teams across various locations. This marked SpaceX's 34th thrilling orbital launch in 2025 and its 455th mission overall, as well as the 21st of the year! With the Falcon 9 launch number B1080.16, it was the 439th mission and also the 21st of 2025. The stage was successfully recovered on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions, marking the 427th Falcon recovery attempt after a short 36-day gap since its last flight. Meanwhile, the head fairing shells were expertly retrieved at sea by the trusty support vessel Bob.
If SpaceX were to launch back-to-back from LC-39A and SLC-40, the maximum Starlink mission frequency from the eastern range would be about six per month due to drone barge transit times. This number could be supplemented by return-to-launch (RTLS) missions or other commercial missions. In the western range, the same factor would limit the cadence to about three Starlink launches per month. In an ideal scenario, without delays, SpaceX could conduct up to nine Starlink missions per month, resulting in the placement of about 205 Starlink v2-mini satellites into orbit. However, this estimate does not account for the need to reconfigure LC-39A for Falcon Heavy launches in the summer, which would require about six weeks, or other commercial missions without return to base.
Recently, Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s vice president of launches, stated that the company was working to complete the D2D constellation by the end of August. According to FCC filings, this would require the launch of approximately 840 D2D satellites by that date. There was no exact number of D2D satellites per launch yet, but data from the first six units launched in January indicated that they were heavier than the Starlink v2-mini. Given this scenario, it was likely that one of the droneship would be stationed semi-permanently in Bahamian waters, while one of the support vessels would be based in the region to recover the head fairings, minimizing the time lost moving the vessels and allowing SpaceX to meet its launch schedule.
Once released into low orbit, each satellite will ignite its argon-fueled Hall-effect engine to raise its orbit to 560 x 560 km. The launch expanded the second-generation Starlink satellite constellation, which consists of V2 Mini models designed to improve the capacity and coverage of the high-speed internet system in low orbit. The mission also included the splashdown of the second stage debris in the Indian Ocean, as planned.
Starlink Group G10-12
The Starlink system is a satellite internet service that uses small satellites to connect people to the internet. The user experience revolves around a “Starlink Dish,” which is installed at the customer’s location. This dish automatically adjusts to stay connected, even in less-than-perfect weather. Additionally, strategically placed ground stations around the world connect the satellite network to ground-based data centers, seamlessly integrating Starlink with the broader internet infrastructure.
The Starship-optimized Starlink V2s will weigh about 2,700 pounds (1,250 kg) and measure about 21 feet (6.5 by 2.7 meters) in an F9-2 bus, 64 percent of the V2 models designed to launch on the company's reusable Starship spacecraft. According to an October 2022 FCC filing, the V2 Minis are significantly larger than the current Starlink V1.5s, weighing up to 1,700 pounds (800 kg) and measuring 14 feet (4.1 by 2.7 meters). SpaceX says the Starlink V2 Minis will have a pair of solar panels totaling 1,160 square feet (1,160 square meters). Assuming the V2 Minis are roughly as energy-efficient as the V1.5s and use equally efficient solar panels, this suggests the device could offer about three to four times more usable bandwidth. They have been adapted to fit into the Falcon 9's head fairing and are referred to as the 'Starlink V2 Mini'; the mass of each is about 810 kg, leading to a total of about 18,630 kg.
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