Weather looks good for SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch from KSC next week
Emre Kelly
The weather looks promising for next week's inaugural flight of SpaceX's highly anticipated Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, according to the Air Force.
Forecasters expect an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions during a window that runs from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at pad 39A on Tuesday, though strong winds and thick clouds were cited as concerns.
A delay to Wednesday would see a dip in conditions to 70 percent "go."
The 230-foot-tall, three-core rocket is SpaceX's answer to heavy-lift market demands and is capable of launching moon and Mars missions. The payload for this demonstration flight, however, will be unique – CEO Elon Musk's personal 2008 Tesla Roadster, an all-electric sports car, will be hurtled into deep space to test the rocket's capabilities.
[10 great places to watch SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch next week]
[SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket roars to life during test fire at KSC]
Falcon Heavy will become the most powerful rocket in the world when it launches with 5.1 million pounds of thrust generated by 27 Merlin engines.
The rocket's two side cores will return to touch down at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Landing Zone 1, while the center core will land on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship stationed off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean. Those in the area can expect multiple sonic booms to indicate their return.
Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.
Launch Tuesday:
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
- Mission: Demonstration flight with Tesla Roadster
- Launch Time:
- Launch Window:
- Launch Pad: 39A at Kennedy Space Center
- Weather: 80 percent "go"
Join floridatoday.com at noon for countdown chat and updates, including streaming of SpaceX's launch broadcast starting 15 minutes before liftoff.