Everything you need to know before SpaceX's late-night Falcon 9 launch

Jamie Groh, Florida Today
·2 min read

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Update: Launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 with the Intelsat 40e satellite and NASA's TEMPO instrument at 12:30 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first-stage booster successfully landed on a drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean a short time later. Read our full post-launch story here.

SpaceX launch teams are gearing up for another mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Set for liftoff from Launch Complex 40 between 12:29 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. EDT Friday, April 7, a Falcon 9 will boost the Intelsat 40e communications satellite for the Luxembourg-based satellite operator. Also hitching a ride as a hosted payload is NASA's Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution instrument, or TEMPO. This will be the 18th launch from the Space Coast this year.

Look for FLORIDA TODAY's live launch coverage to begin 90 minutes before liftoff at https://www.floridatoday.com/space/.

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Here are 10 things you need to know before liftoff:

  • Company / Agency: SpaceX for Intelsat

  • Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

  • Launch location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

  • Launch Window: 12:29 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, April 7

  • Trajectory: This launch will fly an easterly trajectory away from the Florida coast

  • Payload: Inside the Falcon 9's payload fairing is the Maxar-built Intelsat 40e communications satellite for Luxembourg-based satellite operator Intelsat. It features a hosted payload for NASA, the Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution instrument (TEMPO), which will detect pollutants across North America to help enhance air quality forecasts.

  • Weather: Space Force forecasters predict a 90% chance of "go" conditions.

  • Primary weather concerns: At the launch site, the main concern is a slight chance of lingering clouds and winds. Conditions downrange in the Atlantic Ocean, where the first-stage booster is expected to land on a drone ship shortly after liftoff, were listed as "low risk."

  • Booster Landing: The booster will land on SpaceX's A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. No local sonic booms this time.

  • Launch statistics:

    • The 18th launch from Florida this year.

    • SpaceX's 23rd mission of 2023.

    • The fourth flight and landing attempt for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Jamie Groh at JGroh@floridatoday.com and follow her on Twitter at @AlteredJamie.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX: 10 things to know before Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral