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SpaceX's first Falcon Heavy launch of the year, set to take place tomorrow from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, will most likely be delayed, shared the Space Force's weather officer at a media conference earlier today. The Falcon Heavy is slated to launch the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) GOES-U satellite for weather monitoring in the Western atmosphere. During the talk, SpaceX's NASA science liaison Juliana Scheiman explained that her firm's decision to use the Falcon Heavy to launch the satellite would help extend its lifetime, and the GOES-U program director added that the rocket would extend the satellite's life span by five years.
30% Probability of Falcon Heavy Launching With GOES-R Tomorrow
If tomorrow's launch takes place on time, it will mark SpaceX's 65th launch of the year and the tenth launch of the Falcon Heavy. It will also mark the first of two Falcon Heavy launches that are planned for 2024, with the next launch slated to take NASA's Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's icy moon. SpaceX plans to land both of the Falcon Heavy's side boosters on land while the center stage will be expended.
Scheiman explained that the GOES satellite will be positioned in a geostationary orbit more than 35,000 kilometers above Earth. As a result, the payload will be deployed more than four hours after liftoff, with the Falcon Heavy also extending the satellite's lifetime. The SpaceX representative added that while the rocket was slated to roll out to the pad yesterday, a problem with one of the second stage's environmental control systems delayed it by a day to today.
As for the weather, Space Force weather officer Brian Cizek explained that the probability of successful weather conditions tomorrow for lift off is 30%. According to him, a sea breeze is pushing inland to Florida, with cumulus cloud showers and thunderstorms present. Anvil clouds, due to these conditions, increase the risk of lightning due to the weather and those generated by the rocket, shared Cizek.
According to Scheiman, using the Falcon Heavy will allow the mission to achieve a velocity of 566 m/s to orbit, which is lower than the mission's requirement of 987 m/s. The NOAA's program director for GOES-R, Pam Sullivan, added that the fuel savings from the lower velocity would add five years to the satellite's lifetime and extend its life to more than 20 years when compared to the standard spacecraft lifetime of 15 years.
SpaceX will closely work with NASA and the NOAA to decide when to start loading the rocket with propellant since it will determine lift off time. For the GOES-R mission, SpaceX also modified the Falcon Heavy, where the satellite will transmit its health data on ascent through transmitters located on the Falcon Heavy.
The GOES-R launch window will open at 5:16 p.m. local time in Florida tomorrow. The window will be available for two hours, with the backup opportunity also facing similar weather constraints according to the weather officer.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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