SpaceX is targeting 9:12 p.m. Saturday for a Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40, carrying eight HIBLEO-4 satellites for Globalstar as part of the Globalstar 2-R Launch 1 mission. The flight opens a 15-minute window, and forecasters with Space Launch Delta 45 are giving conditions a solid 90% chance of being favorable — dropping slightly to 85% if the attempt slips to Sunday.
The satellites are replenishment hardware for Globalstar's 17-satellite constellation and support the direct-to-handset emergency SOS alert feature found on Apple devices. This will be the first of two missions dedicated to refreshing that constellation for the Louisiana-based communications company.
Residents across a wide swath of the region should be aware that the booster's return to Earth could make itself known audibly. SpaceX has advised that people in Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties may hear one or more sonic booms when the rocket's first stage lands at Landing Zone 40, right next to the launch pad. Actual sound levels will vary based on weather and atmospheric conditions at the time.
The booster flying Saturday is no newcomer — it's heading to space for the 14th time. The mission was originally slated for May but was quietly pulled from the schedule without explanation, and the booster assigned to it has since been swapped out from the one originally announced.
If the launch proceeds, it will mark the 52nd liftoff of the year from the Space Coast across all providers, with SpaceX accounting for 45 of those. This report is based on coverage by the Orlando Sentinel.
