SpaceX is getting ready to cap off a double launch date with a payload that has not been formally recognized.
The mission, in keeping with SpaceX and the FAA is being known as “RRT-1.” Liftoff from House Launch Advanced 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station is about for 8:05 p.m. EST (0105 UTC).
Spaceflight Now can have stay protection starting about an hour previous to liftoff.
On Thursday, the forty fifth Climate Squadron issued a launch climate forecast suggesting an 80 % probability of acceptable climate for liftoff on Friday. Meteorologists listed liftoff winds and cumulus clouds as the first considerations.
It additionally said that the booster restoration climate was a “average” danger on a scale of low-moderate-high. If the launch slips to Saturday, the following obtainable launch alternative, the booster restoration climate turns into a “excessive” danger and the possibility of favorable climate slips to 60 %.
“Sturdy onshore movement with coastal showers would be the climate sample for the launch and backup days after a chilly entrance handed by yesterday,” launch climate officers wrote. “Behind the entrance, a really robust space of excessive strain is constructing into the japanese US, creating a really tight strain gradient by the tip of the week and into the weekend.
“This can deliver elevated east-northeasterly winds together with remoted coastal showers tomorrow night.”
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’ll mark the ninetieth booster touchdown on ASOG and the 383rd booster touchdown up to now.
Thriller payload
Previous to the launch, neither SpaceX nor the mission’s buyer made a public assertion about what payload was onboard the Friday evening Falcon 9 flight.
Some speculated on-line that it was a third-generation International Positioning System (GPS) satellite tv for pc manufactured by Lockheed Martin. A degree of rationale is the mission timeline for RRT-1 is strikingly just like that of the final GPS 3 House Car to launch, GPS 3 SV06, which launched on Jan. 18, 2023.
One other knowledge level is that the hazard warnings are additionally harking back to the SV06 launch.
And a recent proof supporting this concept is the launch timeline – it’s virtually precisely the identical as nicely (GPS III SV06 on the left, “RRT-1” on the appropriate). pic.twitter.com/FqPVIdME7V
— Cosmic Penguin (@Cosmic_Penguin) December 13, 2024
Nevertheless, 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. Sometimes, 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 line with the record 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 following technology 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 Pressure, SpaceX does have plenty of different missions listed underneath 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 Pressure Affiliation’s Spacepower Convention, which wrapped up on Thursday.
GPS powers all the pieces from energy grids to emergency providers. We’re evolving GPS to remain forward—fortifying civilian infrastructure and navy operations with superior indicators, jam resistance and extra. Click on to learn the way GPS shapes our world: 🔗
— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) December 10, 2024
