SpaceX has set its sights on Tuesday, July 21 for the launch of Northrop Grumman's MRV-MEP mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The four-hour launch window opens at 5:15 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available Wednesday, July 22 during the same window if needed.
The mission is headed to geosynchronous transfer orbit, and the extra energy required to reach that destination comes with a notable milestone for the rocket carrying it. The Falcon 9 first stage booster assigned to this flight is making its 32nd — and final — trip to space.
That booster has had a busy career, previously supporting missions including CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, along with 27 Starlink missions. The additional performance demands of a geosynchronous transfer orbit trajectory make this a fitting send-off for such a well-traveled rocket stage.
Space Coast Daily reports that live coverage of the launch will be available on Space Coast Daily TV.
