SpaceX’s fifth Falcon Heavy of the year is set to liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying the US Space Force X-37B spaceplane.
Falcon Heavy – USSF-52 (OTV-7)
Window Opens: December 28th at 8:07PM EST (01:07 UTC on the 29th)
Window Closes: December 28th at 8:17PM EST (01:17 UTC on the 29th)
Current T0: December 28th at 8:07PM EST (01:00 UTC on the 29th)
Mission: Falcon Heavy launch of the US Space Force X-37B Vehicle 2
Target orbit: Classified, theorized to be a highly elliptical and highly inclined orbit.
Boosters: B1064-5 as MY booster, B1065-5 as PY booster, B1084 as center core. 76d 10h 47min 17s turnaround for side boosters.
Booster histories: Side boosters previously flew USSF-44, USSF-67, Echostar 24, and NASA’s Psyche. Center core is new.
Booster recovery: Side boosters will land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2. Center core will be expended.
Fairing recovery: Doug located approximately 1,600km downrange
Rocket trajectory: Northeast hugging the east coast of the United States
Payload mass: Classified
Stubby nozzle: NO (thankfully)
Stats:
· SpaceX’s 97th launch of the year and the 8th launch of the month
· 264th Falcon orbital launch since Amos 6, Falcon Heavy’s 9th orbital flight.
· SpaceX’s 72nd launch from LC-39A
· 32nd landing on LZ-1 out of 33 attempts
· 9th landing on LZ-2 out of 9 attempts
· 183rd and 184th successful landings since the last failed one
· 300th launch of a SpaceX rocket (5 F1, 284 F9, 9 FH, 2 Starship)
Forum: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45886.0
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