Scheduled for (UTC) 2025-01-04, 01:27
Scheduled for (local) 2025-01-03, 20:27 (EST)
Launch site SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA
Booster 1073-20
Landing A Shortfall of Gravitas
Customer Astranis
Payload 4 MicroGEO satellites
Payload mass 5000 kg
Mission success criteria Successful delivery of payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Webcasts

Stream Link
Space Affairs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWvFLGnw2zE
Spaceflight Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_qRqzDu4Ps
NASASpaceflight https://youtube.com/watch?v=xjyYRhbP0Gg
The Launch Pad https://youtube.com/watch?v=Uhu-0NmFiGU
SpaceX https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1875350392487182454
The Space Devs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmBLV-ppU88

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 1st launch from SLC-40 this year

☑️ 5 days, 20:27:00 turnaround for this pad

☑️ 1st Falcon 9 mission this year, 419th Falcon 9 mission overall

☑️ 1st SpaceX mission of 2024, 435th mission overall (excluding Starship flights)

☑️ 1st SpaceX launch this year, 450th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights)

☑️ 67th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful)

☑️ 92nd landing on ASOG

☑️ 393rd Falcon family booster landing, 408th Falcon recovery attempt

Mission info

Thuraya 4-NGS is a communication satellite being built by Airbus Defense and Space for the UAE based Yahsat. Based on the all-electric Airbus Eurostar-Neo Platform, Thuraya 4-NGS will incorporate a large 12-meter L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing providing advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams.