SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 11:53 p.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 1, carrying a national-security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.
The NROL-97 mission is set to lift off from Launch Pad 39A near Cape Canaveral. The payload is designed, built and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office, and details about it are not public.
Weather, cloud cover and the eventual flight trajectory will determine how widely the launch can be seen. Florida Today reports that Space Coast launches can sometimes be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach, with some launches also spotted on Florida’s Gulf Coast and in other East Coast states.
Residents around Melbourne and Cocoa Beach may hear sonic booms associated with the mission, according to the launch information. The planned trajectory had not yet been announced.
People who photograph or record the launch can submit material for possible publication through Florida Today’s reader-submission form. Submissions are reviewed by an editor and should include the contributor’s first and last name, the city and state where the image or video was captured, and a brief description.
Florida Today’s Space Team plans to begin live coverage two hours before the scheduled liftoff on its space coverage page.
