Like watching SpaceX launch a NASA satellite on Saturday and land with a boom

The next launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to bring a new satellite from NASA and the European Space Agency into orbit as early as Saturday. The payload will be the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, the latest in a series of satellites that have provided critical data on sea level rise and climate change for nearly three decades. It is named after the former director of NASA’s Division of Earth Sciences, Michael Freilich, considered a pioneer in conducting oceanographic work from orbit.

The new spy bird of the oceans will be able to measure sea levels within a few centimeters for 90% of the world’s oceans. A sister satellite called Sentinel-6B will join the effort when it launches in 2025. Instruments on the new satellites will also provide atmospheric temperature and humidity data that will help improve weather forecasts, according to NASA.

The mission begins with the fairly rare launch from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A statement from Vandenberg warns that more sonic booms could be heard in parts of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties as the first stage of the Falcon 9 returns for a landing after lifting the satellite to orbit. This should take place approximately eight minutes after take-off.

Takeoff is currently scheduled for Saturday at 9:17 am PT and you can watch it via the embedded live feed below.

It could prove to be a busy day for SpaceX, which also plans to launch its latest batch of Starlink satellites from Florida just 10 hours later.