Night owls and space fans along Florida's Space Coast have something to look forward to this weekend — and light sleepers may want to brace themselves. SpaceX is targeting no earlier than 9:12 p.m. Saturday, August 15, for a Falcon 9 launch from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The rocket is hauling a batch of Globalstar communication satellites into orbit as part of the Globalstar 2-R mission. The launch window is tight — just 15 minutes — so timing matters. If conditions force a scrub, the next shot comes Sunday evening at 8:54 p.m.
The real spectacle comes roughly eight minutes after liftoff, when the Falcon 9's first-stage booster flips around and heads back to Landing Zone 40, situated close to the launch pad. Spectators will actually see the booster touch down before the sound reaches them — followed shortly by the deep, rumbling sonic booms that have become a beloved (if startling) part of life in Brevard County.
Live coverage will begin 90 minutes before liftoff at FloridaToday.com/Space. This story was originally reported by Brooke Edwards for Florida Today and the Palm Beach Post.
