2.02.2025

Sonic boom alert: SpaceX targeting two Falcon 9 rocket launches Monday from Cape Canaveral

SpaceX is targeting a Falcon 9 rocket launch doubleheader on Monday — with the evening mission's first-stage booster expected to generate window-rattling sonic booms across North and Central Brevard County.

"Hear the sonic boom of a LZ-1 Landing," a Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex tweet said, referring to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

First up, SpaceX crews hope to launch a Starlink mission into low-Earth orbit early Monday morning from the military installation. That 4½-hour window will open at 3:54 a.m. and last until 8:25 a.m., a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows.

That Starlink 12-3 mission will send up another payload of broadband satellites to join the company's ever-expanding constellation. The rocket's booster will target landing atop a SpaceX drone ship hundreds of miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, so no sonic booms should occur.

Later Monday, SpaceX will target a window from 6:32 p.m. to 8:03 p.m. to launch a second Falcon 9 from NASA's neighboring Kennedy Space Center, the FAA advisory indicates. That mission will send up a pair of WorldView Legion imagery satellites — and trigger Space Coast sonic booms as the booster descends to LZ-1.

Quelle: Florida Today

----

Update: 4.02.2025

.

SpaceX moves Monday morning launch to Tuesday, keeps targeting Monday evening Maxar liftoff

SpaceX crews have postponed a Monday morning Falcon 9 rocketlaunch attempt, with a new Starlink mission liftoff target time set for 3:37 a.m. EST Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Monday's delay occurred amid a National Weather Service dense fog advisory, with meteorologists warning drivers of visibility of ¼ mile — or less — across East-Central Florida. SpaceX did not publicly release a reason for the launch postponement.

Therefore, Monday's potential launch doubleheader from Florida's Space Coast will not materialize. However, SpaceX continues targeting a one-hour window from 6:32 p.m. to 7:32 p.m. Monday to launch a different Falcon 9 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

That rocket will deploy a pair of Maxar Space Systems-built WorldView Legion imagery satellites — and trigger sonic booms when the booster descends to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicted a greater than 95% chance of "go for launch" weather for the Monday evening launch.

Quelle: Florida Today

----

Update: 6.02.2025

.