The Weekly Rocket Report
12/30/2024-01/12/2025
Ricky Whitmore
Space Writer
Hello everyone and Welcome Back to the Weekly Rocket Report! I swear I am not turning this into a Bi-Weekly thing, but last week was super light in the way of launches, and I had a lot going on. But here we are back together again, so let’s get right into the launches shall we:
The first week we have to cover, only included three launches. This week spanned the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. (There may be a YEARLY Rocket Report coming in the future, give it time)
The week began on Monday December 30th. Lifting off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center was ISRO’s PSLV-CA rocket. The rocket was carrying SPADEX, was a demonstration of docking technology which ISRO will need to further its ambitious human spaceflight goals.
PSLV-CA launches SPADEX. Image Credit: ISRO
The final launch of the year, taking place on Tuesday the 31st was, fittingly, a Starlink Mission. Starlink Group 12-6, with its 21 satellites rode a Falcon 9 from LC-39A at the Cape, to outer space. The first stage booster would go on to land downrange on the drone ship “Just Read the Instructions”.
The final launch of the week was also the first launch of 2025. Thuraya 4-NGS was vaulted to space by a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at the Cape. Downrange the booster landed on its drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” as the Airbus built satellite was put into orbit.
Moving on to week 2 of our adventure today we to China. Monday afternoon saw the launch of a Long March 3B/E carrying Shijian 25. Shijian 25 is an ambitious demonstration of satellite re-fueling and life extension capability.
Long March 3B/E launches Shijian 25. Image Credit: https://x.com/CNSpaceflight
Just 43 minutes later came another launch from SLC-40 at the Cape. Falcon 9 carried 24 satellites on Starlink Group 6-71. As the second staged burned towards its target orbit the first stage booster landed down range on the drone ship “Just Read the Instructions”.
Another day, another Starlink Mission, as Starlink Group 12-11 roared off of LC-39A aboard another Falcon 9. The booster landed back on “A Shortfall of Gravitas” and the 21 satellites were put into low Earth orbit.
Falcon 9 launches Starlink Group 12-11. Image Credit: SpaceX.
Hopping over to the west coast, but staying with Falcon 9, NROL-153 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday night. The classified payload was deployed, and the booster landed offshore on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You”.
Now we hop back over to the east coast, but again stay with Falcon 9. Back on the Starlink trend, Starlink Group 12-12 blasted off from SLC-40 Friday afternoon carrying 21 satellites to orbit. The booster landed downrange on the drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” for a record breaking 25th time.
The final launch of the week took place in China. A Jielong 3 lifted off from Haiyang spaceport off the Chinese coast, carrying 10 CentiSpace-1 satellites to orbit.
Jielong 3 launches 10X CentiSpace-1. Image Credit: https://x.com/CNSpaceflight
With that, we come to a close on another 2 week span of rocket launches. There is a lot coming up next week to look forward to like another launch of Starship, a moon mission with Hakuto R and Blue Ghost, and the first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket (after an exhausting multi delayed scrub Sunday night into Monday). I’ll see you all back here next week to recap another Weekly Rocket Report!
As always feel free to write to me at rickyew2112@gmail.com, or find me on X @Rickyew2112
Sic Itur Ad Astra
(Thus They Journey to the Stars)