The launch is now scheduled for 6:17 a.m. PT, 9:17 a.m. ET. Because the opportunity for liftoff is instantaneous, SpaceX has to have everything go right, to the second.
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The main element of this mission will be the Spanish satellite PAZ. The satellite has a powerful synthetic aperture radar which has the capability of capturing images through the cloud cover giving an output image of 25 centimeters per pixel.
But it’s the secondary objectives that are really interesting. It’s also said to be the first launch of the second generation of SpaceX’s fairing, which is created to be be better able to survive launch for re-use on future missions.
Together with the Paz on the mission, there will be two experimental Microsat satellites which will be used for a 20-month test of technology for Starlink, a network of thousands of satellites which could be capable of delivering 5G service to billions of people.
Further corroborating this evidence of an imminent landing attempt, Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) have been published that indicate a possible landing location for the SpaceX rocket.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk speaks during a press conference in February 2018.Dave Mosher/Business Insider Musk and SpaceX have said little about their plan since announcing it in 2015.
According to the Wall Street Journal, SpaceX is aiming to have 40 million Starlink customers and roughly $30 billion in total revenue by 2025.
SpaceX plans to test the satellites’ compatibility with six broadband ground receiving stations in California, Texas and Washington.
As broadband and wireless communications companies grapple over the terrestrial spectrum, SpaceX is making a play for satellite-powered Internet.
It is also carrying a “Paz” Earth imaging satellite for Spain as well as a number of smaller, tertiary payloads.
As well as the Falcon 9’s central core, the firm will attempt to recover its payload fairings, which refer to the clam-shell-like nose cone halves that protect the craft’s payload.
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The next SpaceX Falcon 9 mission is scheduled for Wednesday (Feb. 21). They managed to get the fairings from a launch back in March 2017 safely back to Earth, using parachutes and thrusters, but it is unknown whether they were actually usable, afterward. At one point Musk mused about using a “bouncy castle” to catch fairings – Mr. Stevens appears a little more realistic. However, time will show if SpaceX will manage to recover the faring or not.
