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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket first stage booster, tail number B1086, lands on the droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ amid the Starlink 12-20 mission on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Shortly after touchdown, a fire broke out in the engine section and caused the loss of the booster. Image: SpaceX via livestream SpaceX is preparing for the return to flight of its Falcon 9 on Monday evening following week without flying its workhorse rocket after a booster caught fire and exploded after landing. Two missions are on tap if the weather cooperates: one in California and the other in Florida. The most recent Falcon 9 launch was more than a week ago on March 2 when SpaceX sent a batch of 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. During a pair of news briefings on Friday connected to upcoming NASA missi...

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) ahead of the launch of the Starlink 12-21 mission. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now Update March 11, 12:50 a.m. ET: SpaceX scrubbed the launch due to high winds. SpaceX is preparing to launch its first batch of Starlink satellites in more than a week. The planned flight comes following a fuel leak in a Falcon 9 booster caused its destruction shortly after landing. However, high ground-level winds prevented the launch from moving forward on Monday and SpaceX is pivoting to a backup window on Tuesday night. The launch of the Starlink 12-21 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is now set for 10:48 p.m. EDT (0248 UTC). It’s one of two planned Falcon 9 launches Tuesday night, including the ridshare lau...