SpaceX launch recap: ESA Galileo L12 satellite launch from Cape Canaveral

Launch recap:  Scroll down for live coverage of the Saturday, April 27 liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX launches Galileo satellites from Cape Canaveral, the first in back-to-back launches

Saturday, April 27 saw the launch of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Galileo satellites, which are part of an existing global navigation system. The launch was the first in another launch double-header from the Space Coast.

The mission is known as Galileo L12, and saw the Galileo satellites launched to their intended orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The ESA Galileo satellite system began in 2016, and there are currently 28 navigational satellites already in orbit. The constellation provides global positioning services which are under civilian control and compatible with GPS and Glonass (Russia's global navigation system).

SpaceX confirmed the existence of the mission, and stated a launch time of 8:34 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. A FAA warning showed that the launch window ran until 9:11 p.m.. The rocket lifted off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, following a northeast trajectory.

This means those north of the Space Coast may have caught a view of this launch.

SpaceX states that it was the 20th and final flight for the Falcon 9 flying Galileo L12. The booster had flown 13 Starlink missions, as well as memorable ones such as Transporter-6 and Intuitive Machines IM-1.

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the weather during the launch window was 75% favorable. If SpaceX was unable to launch during that period, the next opportunity would have been 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 28.

Don't miss the next Florida launch: Is there a launch today? Upcoming rocket launch schedule for SpaceX, ULA, NASA in Florida

Those in the Cape Canaveral area are in for an extra treat this weekend as Sunday evening will bring another launch. According to SpaceX, the next batch of Starlink satellites will launch during a window which opens at 5:50 p.m. and extends until 9:50 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. Sunday's launch will occur from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and follow a southeast trajectory.

Countdown Timer

Liftoff!

Update 8:34 p.m.: Falcon 9 has left the pad carrying the Galileo L12 mission!

T-10 minutes

Update 8:24 p.m.: T-10 minutes! Head outside if you plan on catching this launch! With current conditions it may be tricky to see. As seen in the past, the Falcon 9 could quickly disappear into the clouds.

SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway

Update 8:05 p.m.: Visual cues indicate Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Pad 39A, and SpaceX has confirmed.

That means tonight’s Galileo L12 mission is now locked in to lift off at 8:34 p.m. without any countdown delays, or else the launch must be postponed.

If for any reason there is a delay, the next launch opportunity begins tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

SpaceX launch timeline

Update 7:56 p.m.: Here's a behind-the-scenes rundown of SpaceX’s countdown timeline as we wait for indication of fueling. T-minus:

• 38 minutes: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for propellant load.

• 35 minutes: Rocket-grade kerosene and first-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.

• 16 minutes: Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.

• 7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.

• 1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.

• 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for launch.

• 3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.

• 0 seconds: Liftoff.

Brevard EOC activates ahead of SpaceX launch

Update 7:41 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch.

SpaceX doubleheader launch from Florida

Update 7:31 p.m.: Should SpaceX launch tonight, the Starlink 6-54 mission is set to lift off tomorrow evening.

Final flight for this SpaceX Falcon 9

Update 7:24 p.m.: This Falcon 9 is set to fly its 20th mission, but according to SpaceX, it will be its last. This booster delivered 13 Starlink missions, as well as multiple other payload missions.

The most memorable of these missions was the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lunar lander (IM-1). Even though short lived, the IM-1 mission marked the first time since the Apollo missions that an American spacecraft had landed on the lunar surface.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch: 75% chance of favorable weather during launch window

Update 7:04 p.m.: It is currently cloudy and windy near the Cape Canaveral area, yet SpaceX appears to be on track with tonight's launch of the Galileo L12 mission.

Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launch recap: Falcon 9 launches from Florida with Galileo L12