SpaceX is launching South Korea’s first dedicated military communications satellite on Monday, with a target liftoff time of 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT). The launch window spans nearly four hours, ending at 8:55 PM EDT (5:55 PM PDT), so SpaceX has considerable flexibility in terms of when the launch could actually take place.
The Falcon 9 rocket being used for this mission includes a first-stage booster that flew previously on SpaceX and NASA’s Demo-2 mission – the historic mission that carried astronauts on board a SpaceX rocket for the first time ever. That launch, which took place on May 30, saw astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley successfully delivered to the International Space Station – where they’re currently preparing to depart on Demo-2’s concluding trip home on August 1.
This mission will include a recover attempt for the first stage, using SpaceX’s ‘Just Read the Instructions’ drone landing ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The live stream above should kick off around fifteen minutes prior to liftoff – so at around 4:45 PM EDT (2:45 PM PDT) if the launch is tracking towards the beginning of the window.
