Falcon 9 launch scheduled for Tuesday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – SpaceX announced a four-hour launch window for Tuesday, Jan. 2 starting at 6:13 p.m. for a Falcon 9 rocket launch of 21 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

SpaceX also announced a backup launch window for Wednesday, Jan. 3 starting at 5:51 p.m.

This is the first flight for the Falcon 9 booster assigned to this mission and, following stage separation, the rocket will return to earth to land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship awaiting in the Pacific Ocean.

Among the 21 Starlink satellites destined for low-Earth orbit, six of them will have new Direct to Cell capabilities that expand cell service to previously unreachable areas of the planet.

A live webcast of the launch will begin on SpaceX's Twittter/X page around 15 minutes prior to launch.