CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday evening as part of the Ovzon 3 mission from Florida’s Space Coast.
The launch to geosynchronous transfer orbit took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The launch went off at 6:04 p.m.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a communications satellite for the Swedish and U.S. broadband telecommunications company company Ovzon.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
After stage separation, the first stage was planned to land on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The first local launch of 2024 follows a record-shattering 2023.
A SpaceX doubleheader last Thursday capped off the year at 72 launches from Kennedy Space Center and the Cape.
According to Florida’s lieutenant governor, 100 launches are expected locally this year.
That would be a pace of two launches every week.
CBS News space expert Bill Harwood told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that Mother Nature could challenge that ambitious goal.
“If the weather cooperates, I think 100 flights in a year out of here is certainly feasible,” Harwood said. “But it’s Florida’s Space Coast, and we sometimes get stretches of pretty bad weather. It’s possible in theory, certainly. Whether they can pull it off in reality remains to be seen, but they’re certainly going to try.”
Following Wednesday night, the second launch of 2024 could happen on Monday.
That’s the latest date for the first launch of the new United Launch Alliance rocket, the Vulcan Centaur
Targeting back-to-back launches starting with tonight’s Falcon 9 launch of 21 @Starlink satellites from California followed by tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch of the @OvzonAB Ovzon 3 mission from Florida→ https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 2, 2024
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: