SpaceX has added another milestone to its long list of spaceflight records, completing the first-ever orbital mission featuring a liftoff from one country and a booster landing in another. The historic launch took place on Tuesday, February 18, with a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at precisely 6:21 p.m. EST (2321 UTC).
Credit: SpaceX
The mission, designated Starlink 10-12, was SpaceX’s 21st orbital launch of 2025, reinforcing the company’s rapid cadence of spaceflight operations. Just over eight minutes after launch, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, identified as B1080, successfully touched down on the autonomous droneship, Just Read the Instructions (JRTI), stationed off the coast of Exuma, an island in The Bahamas. This landing marks the first time a SpaceX booster has completed a transnational trajectory, further showcasing the company’s expertise in precision recovery operations.
Ideal Conditions for a Historic Launch
The mission benefitted from near-perfect weather conditions, as forecasted by the 45th Weather Squadron based at Patrick Space Force Base. Leading up to the launch, meteorologists predicted a 95% chance of favorable conditions during the primary window. The weather was influenced by a recent cold front that had moved across Florida, bringing clear and dry conditions. Had the launch been postponed to its backup window on Wednesday, the probability of suitable conditions would have dropped to just 50% due to the anticipated return of deeper moisture.
“Cool and dry conditions have overspread most of Florida today in the wake of yesterday’s cold front, which is currently sliding into far South Florida,” SpaceX’s launch weather officers noted. “This doesn’t look to occur quickly enough to bring a significant threat for Atlantic showers on Tuesday evening for the primary launch window.”
A Veteran Booster in Action
The Falcon 9 booster B1080 used in this mission was making its 16th flight, further solidifying SpaceX’s commitment to reusability. This seasoned first stage had previously carried out several high-profile missions, including four Dragon spacecraft flights to the International Space Station, the launch of the European Space Agency’s Euclid observatory, the Astra 1P satellite, and nine other
Starlink deployments.
The landing of a Falcon 9 on a droneship as seen from The Bahamas. Credit: SpaceX webcast
Tuesday’s landing on Just Read the Instructions was the 110th touchdown on that particular droneship and marked the 410th successful booster recovery overall for SpaceX. This continued success in booster retrieval underscores the company’s technological advancements and cost-saving measures that are redefining modern spaceflight.
With the Starlink 10-12 mission now successfully completed, SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of spaceflight technology. The company’s relentless pursuit of innovation has not only revolutionized satellite deployment but also brought the vision of interplanetary travel closer to reality.
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