A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to lift off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this afternoon, carrying three SES O3b mPOWER satellites to medium-Earth orbit. The launch window opens at 2:49 p.m. ET and runs for 87 minutes, closing at 4:16 p.m.
The three satellites will complete SES's O3b mPOWER constellation, joining ten others already operating for the Luxembourg-based global satellite company. Weather, however, is shaping up as the day's wildcard — the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron puts the odds of favorable conditions at 60% early in the window, dropping to just 40% by its end. Cumulus clouds, surface electric fields, and anvil clouds are the primary concerns, with afternoon sea-breeze thunderstorms a real possibility.
The Falcon 9 first-stage booster flying today has made this journey 28 times before, making this its 29th liftoff. After separating, the booster will head east and attempt a landing on SpaceX's drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean — meaning Central Florida residents shouldn't expect any sonic booms on the return trip.
This article is based on reporting by Rick Neale for Florida Today.
