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Tonight, SpaceX is preparing to launch a worn Falcon 9 rocket from California, which will be followed by one of the company's flagship landings. But this time, SpaceX will try to land the vehicle on a concrete landing area near the launch site – not a drone ship in the ocean. If successful, this will be the first time the company will land on the west coast.
So far, all of SpaceX's ground landings have been in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the company's busiest launch site. SpaceX has two landing pads at this location and has successfully landed 11 Falcon 9 rockets on it. And every time the company has tried to land on land, it's a success.
SpaceX also wanted to make landings from its other launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The company hired a site in 2015, a former Titan rocket launch site, to create a concrete landing area. However, SpaceX had not yet received permission to use the tablet and was only able to disembark its West Coast vehicles on drones in the Pacific Ocean. But during the summer, the company applied for a permit to land at Vandenberg, and it now appears that the site is open.
Since it's the first time a rocket lands in Vandenberg, nearby residents can expect to hear a trio of sonic booms. These big thunderclaps occur when the Falcon 9 returns to Earth, moving faster than the speed of sound. When traveling at such speeds, some parts of the rocket create shock waves that people can hear. It was a common occurrence in Cape Canaveral when NASA's space shuttles landed, and SpaceX's activities continued. Vandenberg Air Force Base warned residents of California before tonight's flight.
Tonight's mission will send a 3,500-pound satellite called SAOCOM 1A for the Argentine Space Agency. The satellite is part of an identical pair supposed to sit in an orbit of 385 miles and observe the Earth. Both are equipped with a radar to facilitate responses to emergencies and natural disasters, as well as to gather information on the amount of moisture in the soil for the agricultural industry. The other probe, SAOCOM 1B, should also be launched on a Falcon 9 by 2019.
The rocket used for this flight took off from Vandenberg once before. On July 25, the vehicle captured 10 satellites for the Iridium telecommunications company and landed on a drone in the Pacific. SpaceX is now 22h21 ET for this takeoff. This launch also has an instant launch window. Therefore, if the rocket does not climb exactly on time, SpaceX will have to try another day. The company has a backup launch date set for the same time on Thursday, October 11th.
Once this rocket takes off, it will be the 17th launch of the year for SpaceX. This puts the company at just one launch of its record of 18 launches last year. SpaceX aims to make 24 launches in 2018, but it seems unlikely that this goal will be achieved. But the company is still on track to surpass any other US company, and even Russia in total launches this year.
Launch coverage should begin 15 minutes before takeoff. Then come back to watch this live flight.
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