A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) mission launched at 5:26 p.m. EDT, June 25 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A series of rapid events occurs after launch, one of the most important is Max Q – the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket. After Max Q the Falcon Heavy’s dual side booster engines will cutoff and separate from the center core booster to begin their recovery journey for vertical landings at SpaceX Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Landing should occur about eight and a half minutes after liftoff.
Still to come is the center core’s main engine cutoff and separation from the Falcon Heavy’s second stage.
NASA will provide continuous mission coverage on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website until 6 p.m. NASA will then provide live updates at the top of every hour until approximately 10 p.m.
Continue checking NASA’s GOES blog for additional mission milestones, or join the conversation and get updates on social media by following these accounts:
X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NOAASatellites, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites, NASA Goddard
Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites