An early-morning rocket launch is scheduled for 12:33 a.m. ET Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SpaceX launch scheduled for Tuesday was originally scheduled for last weekend but was delayed after issues with the fairing pressurization system.
SpaceX is set to launch the Hispasat 30W-6 satellite for the communications company Hispasat from the Florida base. While the launch window opens at 12:33 a.m., it stays open for two hours, and the company will have that entire window to decide whether or not to launch.
If the conditions are deemed unacceptable or a further issue with the rocket or the payload is found, the launch can be scrubbed. A backup launch time is scheduled for Wednesday morning at the same time and from the same place.
The payload is expected to deploy 33 minutes after the launch of the rocket. If successful, the launch will deliver the communications satellite to geostationary transfer orbit at 30 W where it will replace the Hispasat 1D. On Tuesday, SpaceX will make an attempt at putting the satellite in transfer orbit before it transitions to a geostationary orbit and then to its final position at 30 W, said a release from Hispasat.
Falcon 9 flight 50 launches tonight, carrying Hispasat for Spain. At 6 metric tons and almost the size of a city bus, it will be the largest geostationary satellite we’ve ever flown.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2018
The satellite is about the size of a city bus and weighs 6 metric tons, making it the largest geostationary satellite SpaceX has ever launched, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted Monday.
There were no plans Monday afternoon to try and recover the first stage of the rocket due to poor weather conditions expected in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a release from SpaceX.
No visitors will be able to view the launch from the Kennedy Space Center due to the launch being scheduled far after the center closes.
The launch will be streamed live on SpaceX's website as well as on the company's YouTube channel.
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