BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX announced it will attempt to launch two rockets from Florida’s Space Coast on Thursday evening.
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After several delays, SpaceX is planning to launch its Falcon Heavy rocket launch and the seventh mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle.
According to the space agency, that launch is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
If needed, a backup opportunity is available at 8:06 p.m. on Friday.
Though designated a top-secret mission, launch operators have made statements concerning some of the X-37B mission. The uncrewed, solar-powered, Boeing-built reusable vessel will be used for testing, such as operating the spaceplane in varying orbits, investigating the effects of radiation on different materials and “experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies,” according to a news release.
“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,” Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, X-37B program director, said earlier in a statement.
SpaceX said it will be the fifth launch and landing of these Falcon Heavy side boosters, which previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67, Hughes JUPTER 3, and NASA’s Psyche mission.
Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters are scheduled to land on SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Meanwhile, the company explained that it will also attempt to launch its Falcon 9 rocket later that evening, which will carry 23 Starlink satellites into orbit.
Liftoff for that launch is scheduled for 11:01 p.m. at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with backup opportunities available until 2:59 a.m. on Friday.
If needed, additional backup opportunities will be available on Friday starting at 11 p.m.
News4JAX will stream both the launches
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