SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket is ready to launch an X-37B spaceplane for the U.S. Space Force on Monday evening (December 11) after a day-long weather delay. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to see it live.
Falcon Heavy’s launch will take place from Launch Complex-39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a 10-minute window beginning at 8:14 p.m. ET. It is planned. As expected, if SpaceX webcasts the launch, you can watch it live on Space.com. SpaceX announced early Sunday morning that the flight would be delayed by 24 hours.
“The launch of the USSF-52 mission by Falcon Heavy is currently targeted for Monday, December 11th, with weather conditions expected to improve to 70% favorable for launch by Monday night.” SpaceX wrote about X (Formerly Twitter). “The team will use that time to complete additional pre-launch checkouts.”
The upcoming launch will be the seventh time the reusable X-37B spaceplane has been launched aboard the Falcon Heavy for the first time, and could have implications for future orbital missions.
Five of the six previous X-37B launches used United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets, and the other used SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The Falcon Heavy uses three Falcon 9 boosters as its first stage and outperforms his other two rockets during launch. It will put the mass into orbit.According to the recent Space Force release, part of the objectives of the upcoming X-37B mission, known as OTV-7 (“Orbital Test Vehicle-7”), includes “operating in a new orbital regime”, and considering the launch vehicle, this It may exhibit a higher orbit. As usual, it is located far from Earth.
Related: Space Force’s secret X-37B spaceplane: 10 surprising facts
Launch of the USSF-52 mission aboard the Falcon Heavy is currently targeted for Monday, Dec. 11, with weather conditions expected to improve to 70 percent suitable for launch by Monday night. The team will use that time to complete additional pre-launch checkouts → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/OsQ6bjWwxKDecember 10, 2023
Launch vehicle upgrades may also be related to mass. The X-37B has a cargo bay to accommodate equipment and experiments, and could carry secondary mission payloads that require the Falcon Heavy’s additional lift capabilities.
The uncertainty here is not surprising. Most details of the X-37B mission are classified. However, USSF-52 is home to at least one unclassified experiment. NASA’s Seeds-2 project will test the effects of radiation and long spaceflight on plant seeds.
Each of the X-37B’s series of missions lasted longer than its predecessor, with the most recent orbital trip lasting 908 days. The mission, called OTV-6, landed in November 2022.
When Falcon Heavy lifts off on Sunday, it will be the rocket’s ninth mission to date. It will also be the fifth flight for the side booster supporting this particular mission. The two recently launched NASA’s Psyche probe in October of this year.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on Dec. 10 to reflect a one-day delay in SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and X-37B launches.