Tuesday, January 30, 2018

SpaceX Targeting Launch Today From Cape Canaveral Of GovSat 1

Los Angeles-based SpaceX is targeting another launch today, at 4:23PM ET, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. According to the Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX is currently scheduled to launch the SpaceX Falcon 9 SES-16/GovSat 1 mission, from Space Launch Complex 40. The mission will place a geostationary communications satellite into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) for GovSat, which is a joint venture between SES and the government of Luxembourg. Kennedy Space Center said that the rocket launch will reuse a "flight-proven" Falcon 9 for the first stage, however--most likely due to the GTO orbit target--the Falcon 9 used in the launch will not attempt to be recovered. The GovSat 1 includes X-band and Ka-band communications transponders, and is targeted for use by Luxembourg and other NATO countries in their military missions. SpaceX is using a Falcon 9 that it originally launched in May of 2017 in the mission. Image: The Falcon 9 rocket being used in the launch today, seen just before its last trip to space in May of 2017 on the NROL-76 mission.