SpaceX declared that on Thursday night, it will try to launch two rockets from Florida’s Space Coast.
Following multiple postponements, SpaceX has announced that it intends to launch both the seventh mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle and its Falcon Heavy rocket.
The launch is planned to occur at 8:07 p.m. from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, according to the space agency.
A backup opportunity is available on Friday at 8:06 p.m., should it be needed.
Launch operators have provided statements about certain aspects of the X-37B mission, despite it being classified as a top-secret mission. According to a press release, the unmanned, solar-powered, reusable spacecraft was built by Boeing and will be used for testing that includes putting the spacecraft in different orbits, looking into how radiation affects different materials, and “experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies.”
Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, the director of the X-37B program, stated earlier in a statement, “We are excited to expand the envelope of the reusable X-37B’s capabilities, using the flight-proven service module and Falcon Heavy rocket to fly multiple cutting-edge experiments for the Department of the Air Force and its partners.”
According to SpaceX, it will be the fifth time that these Falcon Heavy side boosters have taken off and landed; they have previously supported NASA’s Psyche mission, USSF-44, USSF-67, Hughes JUPTER 3, and more.
The two side boosters of Falcon Heavy are expected to land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida after the boosters separate.
The business added that later that evening, it plans to try launching its Falcon 9 rocket, which will put 23 Starlink satellites into orbit.
At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, that launch is slated to lift off at 11:01 p.m., with backup chances open until 2:59 a.m. on Friday.
Extra backup options will be accessible on Friday beginning at 11 p.m., if necessary.
The launch has a 90% chance of going ahead, according to the 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast, although there is a small chance that bad weather will interfere.
When both launches occur, News 6 will broadcast live coverage of them at the top of this article.