We were faced with really unusual weather for this afternoon's launch from Launch Complex 39A on the Kennedy Space Center. It not only didn't rain, we didn't even get clouded out from seeing the launch from the backyard. The clouds didn't go overhead, but thoroughly absorbed the sunlight and kept the temperature pleasant. The 5:04 PM (EDT) launch was a European weather satellite (video coverage) and appeared as flawless as you can imagine.
Thanks to NextSpaceflight, we knew that there's a second launch early Wednesday morning, 1:29 AM EDT, from SLC-40, but what I didn't know until I went looking for details is that this mission appears ready to set a couple of new records for SpaceX's missions.
First, this will be the 500th launch of a Falcon 9. Second, this booster will be their fleet leader in number of launches and booster tail number B1067 will be flying its 29th mission. There are two boosters with 26 flights which puts B1067 two missions ahead of those two boosters now and three ahead when this mission succeeds.
Typically, around 8-1/2 minutes after liftoff the booster targets a landing. This landing will be on the droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If successful, this will be the 116th touchdown on this vessel and the 472nd booster landing to date.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now
Spaceflight Now will be doing video coverage of this launch.
