Love in the Air: SpaceX's Twin Launch Treat on Valentine's Day – Moon Lander and Secret Mission
If you're a fan of rocket launches, Valentine's Day is set to bring a celestial doubleheader to the Space Coast, featuring not one but two SpaceX rockets potentially lifting off within a span of about 16½ hours.
First on the cosmic agenda is a Falcon 9, scheduled to launch Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander, Odysseus, on an epic journey to the moon's surface. This late-night liftoff is tentatively set for no earlier than 12:57 a.m. EST on Wednesday, lifting off from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
Following this lunar escapade, a second launch window is expected for the Space Force's classified USSF-124 mission. While SpaceX has yet to publicly announce details about this secretive mission, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates a launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. and extending until 10 p.m. on Wednesday at the Cape.
For sky watchers, the National Weather Service forecast seems to be playing cupid, with mostly clear skies overnight on Tuesday and sunny conditions expected on Wednesday, offering an ideal backdrop for these celestial performances.
The Initiative Machines moon lander mission is a significant part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign. The mission's ambitious goal is to become the first American vehicle to softly land on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 achieved this feat in 1972.
Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, carrying a suite of six NASA payloads, is expected to orbit the moon approximately 12 times from an altitude of about 100 kilometers before gracefully descending to its target landing site, situated roughly 300 kilometers from the moon’s south pole. The chosen site boasts a relatively safe and flat topography, as highlighted by Susan Lederer, CLPS project scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, during a Monday teleconference.
The primary objective of this lunar exploration is to pave the way for NASA's Artemis program and, intriguingly, to develop a lunar economy. Post-touchdown, Odysseus is anticipated to operate on the moon's surface for about seven days before lunar nightfall descends, as reported by Intuitive Machines.
As space enthusiasts eagerly await these Valentine's Day rocket rendezvous, the details surrounding the USSF-124 mission remain shrouded in mystery. Space Systems Command media officials have not provided additional information at this time.
For those looking to catch the cosmic spectacle, FLORIDA Space team will be providing live coverage of each Valentine's Day launch on floridatoday.com/space, starting about 90 minutes before liftoff. Keep an eye on the skies and stay tuned for updates as the Space Coast prepares for this romantic celestial showcase.