SpaceX is scheduled to launch its inaugural Falcon 9 rocket of 2025 today, provided everything proceeds as anticipated.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is planned to lift off on Friday (Jan. 3) at 8:27 p.m. EST (0127 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission will send the Thuraya 4 satellite into geosynchronous orbit on behalf of Space42, a satellite and aerospace services organization located in the United Arab Emirates. The satellite aims to deliver mobile communication services throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for both commercial and governmental clientele.
You can watch the launch live at SpaceX.com or through the company’s X account. Coverage is expected to commence around 8:20 p.m. ET (0120 GMT).
This mission represents the 20th flight for this Falcon 9 first stage booster. After delivering the satellite to orbit, the booster will return to Earth for a landing on SpaceX’s drone ship called “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” which will be stationed offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.
The first stage booster for today’s launch previously transported the unfortunate ispace Haukto-R lunar lander to the moon, executed an ISS resupply mission, in addition to launching 13 batches of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites.
The Thuraya 4 mission will signify SpaceX’s 418th Falcon 9 rocket flight, and the company’s overall 435th mission. In 2024, SpaceX conducted over 130 orbital missions, and this year’s total is predicted to exceed that number.
The satellite being deployed today is officially designated as the Thuraya 4-NGS (Next Generation System) and was constructed by Airbus. The technologies incorporated within the satellite will “unlock innovative AI-powered services,” stated Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat Space Services, one of the two firms that constitute Space42, in a statement.