SpaceX evening launch could bring sonic boom with booster landing

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Feb 3, 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla. — A Monday evening launch attempt by SpaceX could mean a sonic boom may rattle parts of Central Florida as the company aims to bring its booster back for a rare land recovery.

A Falcon 9 is targeting the opening of a one-hour window at 6:32 p.m. Eastern time to launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A on the Maxar Digital Globe 3 mission to bring up a pair of Earth-imaging satellites headed for mid-inclination orbit. A backup window runs Tuesday from 6:07-7:08 p.m.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts a better than 95% chance for good conditions at the launch site. Of note, sunset is at 6:04 p.m.

The first-stage booster for the mission is making its fourth flight and will aim for a recovery landing on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1.

SpaceX has warned that one or more potential sonic booms might be heard by residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.

It’s the first LZ1 landing since November, which was the last of 12 landings made at the Space Force base in 2024, several of which were related to Falcon Heavy launches. SpaceX had only six LZ1 landings in 2023. Most of the company’s booster recoveries occur on its two droneships in the Atlantic.

The flight would be the 11th launch from the Space Coast so far in 2025, with all but one coming from SpaceX during a year the Space Force said could see up to 156 launches among all providers.

SpaceX could also send up launch No. 12 about nine hours later.

A Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-3 mission with 21 Starlink satellites is targeting a 3:37 a.m. liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during a launch window that runs from 3:26-7:26 a.m. and backup Feb. 5 from 2:59-6:59 a.m.

This is the 21st launch for that mission’s first-stage booster, which will aim for a landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.

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