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SpaceX is set to launch the US Space Force’s GPS III 04 spacecraft today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This launch was set to take off in early October, but was canceled in the last few seconds. Today’s launch window lasts 15 minutes and opens at 6:24 PM EST (3:24 PM PST), with a backup opportunity tomorrow, Friday November 6 at 6:20 PM EST (3:20 PM PST).
Today’s launch will use a Falcon 9 first stage that hasn’t flown previously, and SpaceX will attempt to recover it with a landing on its ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the terms of its agreement with the US Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC, previously housed under the Air Force), SpaceX had to use new boosters for all missions that fall under the National Security Space Launch) umbrella, including this one.
That changed in September of this year when SpaceX and SMC agreed that Elon Musk’s launch company could use reworked booster stages, which is what SpaceX does for nearly every other launch these days. Given SpaceX’s track record with refurbished first stadiums, it makes sense for SMC to change its stance on using recovered rockets.
SpaceX has already launched a GPS III spacecraft this year for the Space Force, the third such satellite in the constellation, which was delivered into orbit in June.
The launch webcast will begin above approximately 15 minutes before the launch window opens, so around 6:09 PM EST (3:09 PM PST).
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