SpaceX launches Falcon 9 and two communications satellites from Cape Canaveral

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

---

Just after sunset Friday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket illuminated the Space Coast's dusk sky after an on-time liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The 7:38 p.m. EDT mission from Launch Complex 40 carried the SES 18 and 19 communications satellites to orbit for Luxembourg-based operator SES, then wrapped up with a drone ship landing in the Atlantic Ocean. It marked SpaceX's second flight of the day after a different Falcon 9 launch four hours prior from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, which boosted another batch of the company's Starlink internet satellites. That mission also included a drone ship landing.

Once operational in orbit, the Florida-launched SES satellites will help to deliver data and digital television services to millions of homes across the United States. They'll spend the next several weeks raising their orbits to some 22,236 miles above Earth's surface.

SpaceX's next launch, meanwhile, has been tentatively scheduled for no earlier than Friday, March 24. That's slated to include even more Starlink internet satellites.

Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings

New spacesuits:NASA, Axiom reveal new look for Artemis missions to the moon

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday,  March 17, 2022. The rocket is carrying a pair of communications satellites for Luxembourg-based SES. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday, March 17, 2022. The rocket is carrying a pair of communications satellites for Luxembourg-based SES. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Apart from SpaceX activity, Relativity Space at the Cape's Launch Complex 16 is gearing up for its third attempt at the inaugural launch of its Terran 1 rocket on Wednesday, March 22. Liftoff of the world's first 3D-printed rocket is slated to happen during a three-hour window that opens at 10 p.m. EDT, the company confirmed on Friday.

Look for FLORIDA TODAY's live launch coverage to begin 90 minutes before the launch window opens at https://www.floridatoday.com/space/.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Jamie Groh at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @AlteredJamie.

The second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket separates from the booster after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday,  March 17, 2022. The rocket is carrying a pair of communications satellites for Luxembourg-based SES. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
The second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket separates from the booster after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Friday, March 17, 2022. The rocket is carrying a pair of communications satellites for Luxembourg-based SES. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Launch Wednesday, March 22

  • Company / Agency: Internal Relativity Space mission

  • Rocket: Terran 1

  • Location: Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

  • Launch Window: 10:00 p.m. EDT Wednesday to 1:00 a.m. EDT Thursday

  • Trajectory: East

  • Weather: TBD

  • Landing: None; Terran 1 is expendable

  • Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space

  • About: Relativity Space will attempt the first orbital launch of its 110-foot, 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket. The inaugural demonstration mission known as "Good Luck, Have Fun" will not feature any customer payloads. The Terran 1 rocket is the largest 3D-printed object to attempt orbital flight.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida sunset SpaceX launch followed California liftoff hours before