SpaceX Zuma launch from Cape Canaveral postponed to weekend

Emre Kelly
Florida Today
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the U.S. government's secret Zuma mission stands vertical on launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX is now targeting this weekend for a secretive Falcon 9 mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Space Coast's first rocket launch of the year is scheduled to light up the night sky no earlier than 8 p.m. Sunday during a two-hour window at Launch Complex 40. Weather was cited as the reason for the delay.

"Extreme weather slowed operations but Falcon 9 and the Zuma spacecraft are healthy and go for launch," SpaceX said via Twitter.

Encapsulated in the rocket's fairing will be Zuma, a spacecraft identified only as a government payload managed by Northrop Grumman. The mission was originally targeted to launch in November, but hardware issues with the fairing – the cone that protects spacecraft during liftoff – forced teams to delay several times.

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The Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron said Sunday's attempt will see 80 percent "go" conditions, though the area's chilly weather will linger – expect a low of 43 and a high of 64 on launch day.

About eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will return to land at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1, a maneuver that will generate a powerful and potentially startling sonic boom during descent.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.

Launch Sunday:

  • Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
  • Mission: Zuma government payload for Northrop Grumman
  • Launch Time: Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
  • Launch Complex: 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
  • Weather: 80 percent "go"

Join FloridaToday.com/Space at 7 p.m. Sunday for countdown chat and updates, including streaming of SpaceX's launch webcast.