SpaceX delays Space Force Falcon Heavy launch from Kennedy Space Center

Emre Kelly, Florida Today
·2 min read
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Update (2 p.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 14): After raising Falcon Heavy into its vertical orientation at pad 39A Saturday, SpaceX confirmed a 24-hour delay in the mission due to unspecified reasons. The company is now targeting 5:56 p.m. EST Sunday, Jan. 15, for the next attempt at launching USSF-67. Weather should be nearly 100% "go" for that attempt.

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Weather conditions are likely to be solid for SpaceX's next launch from Kennedy Space Center, a three-core Falcon Heavy mission that will include simultaneous booster landings just as sunset washes over the Saturday evening sky.

If preparations continue as planned, the 230-foot rocket made up of three Falcon 9 boosters strapped together will liftoff from pad 39A at 5:55 p.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 14. Sunset will start around 5:45 p.m. EST, meaning Falcon Heavy could fly into gorgeous lighting conditions if liftoff happens at the outset of the 38-minute window.

Roughly eight minutes after liftoff, the rocket's 162-foot side boosters are expected to perform simultaneous, autonomous landings at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Landing Zones 1 and 2. Residents and spectators should be prepared for harmless, but loud, sonic booms that reverberate across the Space Coast. Depending on factors like humidity and cloud cover, they could sound like two distinct booms or up to six separate booms.

Weather conditions, according to the Space Force, are expected to be solidly "go" during the window: 80% "go" at the opening with gradual improvement to 90% "go" by the end. SpaceX will fly at the opening unless teams need more time to troubleshoot weather, range, or technical issues.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket sits on pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center ahead of a Space Force mission, known as USSF-44, that launched on Nov. 1, 2022.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket sits on pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center ahead of a Space Force mission, known as USSF-44, that launched on Nov. 1, 2022.

"On Saturday, expect mostly clear skies with gusty winds and temperatures in the 40s at the spaceport," Space Launch Delta 45 forecasters said Thursday. "The only weather concern for a Saturday evening launch is liftoffwinds, which will diminish through the window."

In the event of a 24-hour delay to Sunday, weather would actually improve even more to nearly 100% "go."

SpaceX's customer for this launch is the Space Force. The mission, known as USSF-67, includes several defense payloads ranging from typical communications satellites to several experimental missions, some of which the branch is keeping classified. USSF-67 will be the third national defense mission flown on Falcon Heavy.

Saturday's launch will mark the third of the year for the Space Coast, which is expecting nearly double the cadence set in 2022. Eastern Range commander Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy recently said Florida could host up to 92 missions in 2023, a figure that far outpaces last year's 57. If it does come to pass, Purdy said it will help pave the way for "multiple hundreds" of launches in the next few years.

Falcon Heavy is expected to fly several missions this year. On tap are more flights for the Space Force and private satellite communications companies like California-based ViaSat.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX delays Space Force Falcon Heavy launch from Kennedy Space Center