Replace 12:00 p.m. EST, (1700 UTC): SpaceX set a brand new goal launch time and date for the mission.

SpaceX is planning for its subsequent try to launch  a payload that has not been formally recognized.

The mission, in response to SpaceX and the FAA is being known as “RRT-1.” Liftoff from House Launch Complicated 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral House Drive Station is about for Monday, Dec. 16, at 7:51 p.m. EST (0051 UTC).

Spaceflight Now can have reside protection starting about an hour previous to liftoff.



Climate situations proceed to be a watch merchandise for SpaceX. The corporate cited excessive winds on the pad its cause for standing down from Friday’s launch try and Monday can also show difficult.

On Sunday, the forty fifth Climate Squadron issued a launch climate forecast suggesting a 75 % likelihood of acceptable climate for liftoff on Monday. Meteorologists listed liftoff winds and cumulus clouds as the first issues.

“Gusty onshore circulate with scattered coastal showers will proceed for the subsequent few days because of a really robust excessive strain system within the Northeast US and a floor trough within the northwest Caribbean,” launch climate officers wrote of their forecast. “By [Monday] night, the excessive will start to slip eastward into the Atlantic, permitting for a gradual enjoyable of the strain gradient.

“Nonetheless, a coastal floor trough will develop alongside the Florida east coast accompanied by elevated moisture from the southeast. This can convey scattered onshore transferring showers all through the afternoon and night hours.”

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail quantity B1085 within the SpaceX fleet, will launch for a fourth time. It beforehand supported the launches of Crew-9 in addition to Starlink 10-5 and Starlink 6-77.

Roughly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1085 will landing on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If profitable, it should mark the ninetieth booster touchdown on ASOG and the 383rd booster touchdown to this point.

Thriller payload

Previous to the launch, neither SpaceX nor the mission’s buyer made a public assertion about what payload was onboard the Friday night time Falcon 9 flight.

Some speculated on-line that it was a third-generation World Positioning System (GPS) satellite tv for pc manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Some extent of rationale is the mission timeline for RRT-1 is strikingly just like that of the final GPS 3 House Automobile to launch, GPS 3 SV06, which launched on Jan. 18, 2023.

One other knowledge level is that the hazard warnings are additionally paying homage to the SV06 launch.

And a recent proof supporting this concept is the launch timeline – it’s virtually precisely the identical as effectively (GPS III SV06 on the left, “RRT-1” on the fitting). pic.twitter.com/FqPVIdME7V

— Cosmic Penguin (@Cosmic_Penguin) December 13, 2024

Nonetheless, the Falcon 9 second stage on this mission has a gray band round it, which is used to assist regulate the temperature of the propellant on the higher stage. Usually, that’s used for missions with considerably lengthy coast phases, like these launching on a direct to geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) or a highly-elliptical Earth orbit (HEO).

If the payload is a GPS satellite tv for pc it will be destined for a medium Earth orbit (MEO) about 12,500 miles in altitude.

In keeping with the checklist of Nationwide Safety House Launch (NSSL) Part 2 contract launches assigned to SpaceX, the one ones named as GPS missions are GPS 3 SV10 and GPS 3 F-1, the latter of which is the subsequent era of GPS satellite tv for pc and can launch on a Falcon Heavy.

If that is in actual fact a mission on behalf of the U.S. House Drive, SpaceX does have various different missions listed below this procurement course of that haven’t launched. These embrace USSF-36, USSF-31 and USSF-70.

The RRT-1 mission wasn’t introduced up as a subject of debate through the three-day House Drive Affiliation’s Spacepower Convention, which wrapped up on Thursday.

GPS powers the whole lot from energy grids to emergency companies. We’re evolving GPS to remain forward—fortifying civilian infrastructure and army operations with superior alerts, jam resistance and extra. Click on to find out how GPS shapes our world: 🔗

— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) December 10, 2024