SpaceX Falcon 9 : SXM-7 : CC SLC-40 : December 13, 2020 (17:30 UTC)

[Steven Pietrobon]

Static fire, as seen by Fleetcam.

[PM3]

Launch window has shifted by a minute to 16:20 - 18:20 UTC,  according to ben Ben Cooper:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

[FutureSpaceTourist]

L-3 launch weather forecast is 80% GO

[Jansen]

https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1336460505616162817

...the recovery fleet is nearly assembled for the upcoming SXM-7 mission.

[Lewis007]

Static fire pics posted by Ken Kremer

https://twitter.com/ken_kremer/status/1336538598179549184

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1336601543651495936

Ms. Tree departed from Port Canaveral a few hours ago for the SXM-7 mission.

Ms. Chief remains docked in Florida and will not take part this time.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral will launch the SiriusXM-7 communications satellite from pad 40 on December 11 at 11:21am EST. The launch window stretches two hours to 1:20pm EST.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

L-1 launch weather forecast is now 90% GO

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/kspaceacademy/status/1337169311052476418

SpaceX Falcon 9 just went vertical at SLC-40, getting ready to loft SXM-7.

If you're ready for another launch w/ the @NASASpaceflight crew, we'll be live this evening for NROL-44 and tomorrow morning for SXM-7.

Only Starship gets the marathon 12 hour broadcasts. 😅

[zubenelgenubi]

OK! Tonight's Delta IV-H launch (at least the part we see on the ULA web-cast) proceeded successfully. (01:09 UTC)

This launch follows approximately 15 hours later!

[Ken the Bin]

SpaceX has updated their Launches webpage for this launch.

[Jansen]

Official HiRes mission patch

[Jansen]

From SpaceX:

SpaceX is targeting Friday, December 11 for launch of the SXM-7 mission, which will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The one-hour and 59-minute launch window opens at 11:21 a.m. EST, or 16:21 UTC, and a backup launch opportunity is available on Saturday, December 12 with a one-hour and 59-minute launch window opening at 11:21 a.m. EST, or 16:21 UTC.

The Falcon 9 first stage rocket booster supporting this launch previously supported Crew Dragon’s first flight to the International Space Station (Demo-1), launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, and four Starlink launches in 2020. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship, which will be located in the Atlantic Ocean. One half of Falcon 9’s fairing previously supported the ANASIS-II mission in July 2020.

[vaporcobra]

B1051 et al.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

NSF live link for later

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Launch hazard and airspace closure areas (as posted by the 45th)

[scr00chy]

Visual mission profile

[soltasto]

And the usual capture "Press Kit" with OCR

[Elthiryel]

By the way, I'm pretty sure they posted the wrong flight profile picture on the website, it shows a boostback burn, which doesn't make much sense for a 7000 kg GTO flight (but scroochy did it right ).

[Jansen]

By the way, I'm pretty sure they posted the wrong flight profile picture on the website, it shows a boostback burn, which doesn't make much sense for a 7000 kg GTO flight (but scroochy did it right ).

That has now been corrected.