10|12191|15Jan2023 18:08:23 Eastern
Side boosters have both landed
The twin side boosters have landed at LZ-1 and LZ-2 respectively.  Meanwhile the second stage has shut down and has achieved a nominal orbit.



15Jan2023 18:04:02 Eastern
Side boosters have executed the entry burns.


15Jan2023 18:03:34 Eastern
The central core has burnt out and separated
The remaining booster has now shut down and separated from the second stage.  The payload fairings have also been jettisoned.

15Jan2023 18:02:08 Eastern
Side Booster separation
The side boosters have separated and are executing the boost back burn.

15Jan2023 17:58:47 Eastern
Liftoff


15Jan2023 17:56:01 Eastern
Falcon 9 in startup, LD GO for launch


15Jan2023 17:55:29 Eastern
Rocket now fully fuelled
With the complete of the LOX tank on the second stage the rocket is fully fuelled at flight levels.

15Jan2023 17:54:35 Eastern
Triple cores are now fully fuelled


15Jan2023 17:54:01 Eastern
Strongack is retracting to pre-launch position
The strongback retraction is now underway.  This started with the opening of the clamps around the body of the rocket and the arm is now retracting a few degrees to the pre-launch position.  This will then rapidly retract to the launch position at ignition.

15Jan2023 17:49:55 Eastern
Engine chill down is underway
Small amounts of propellant are bing released through the engines and turbo pumps to chill them down prior to the full flow of super cold fuels at ignition.  This protects the engines from any damage that may occur through rapid thermal changes.

15Jan2023 17:45:10 Eastern
Weather and Range are GO
There are no issues being worked on the Range and they are ready to support today's mission.  Likewise the weather is observed to be green for todays launch window.

15Jan2023 17:43:26 Eastern
Rocket is standing proud on launch pad


15Jan2023 17:41:13 Eastern
Stage 2 LOX load underway
With the start of the Liquid Oxygen tanking on stage 2 all tanks on the rocket are being filled or have completed.  The LOX on stage 2 will flow until T-2 minutes when the rocket will be fully fuelled.

15Jan2023 17:37:35 Eastern
RP-1 complete on Stage 2
The RP-1 tank on the second stage is now at flight levels.  This is the first of the 8 propellant tanks to complete fuelling.

15Jan2023 17:29:11 Eastern
The central booster is expendable
The central core booster is not intended to be recovered today and will burn up after it has separated and returns to Earth.  This booster will burn for over a minute longer than a normal Falcon 9 first stage consuming more fuel and attaining a higher altitude.  These two factors make if difficult to recover the booster.

15Jan2023 17:23:50 Eastern
Stage 2 RP-1 underway
With the start of the Rocket Propellant 1 tanking on the second stage 7 of the 8 tanks on the falcon heavy are being filled.  The final Liquid Oxygen tank on the second stage will be loaded at L-18 minutes.

15Jan2023 17:17:15 Eastern
The mission profile for today
Today's mission length is indeterminant as with most USSF launches the final deployment phases are not reported.

From launch to achieving orbit the central booster will burn for 3 minutes 55 seconds.  For the first part of the launch this will be assisted by the two side boosters which will burn out and separate after 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

The side boosters will then perform a boost back burn followed by an entry burn before finally landing at LZ-1 and LZ-2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station some 8 minutes after launch.

In the mean time the second stage will ignite just after 4 minutes into the flight carrying the payloads into orbit.



15Jan2023 17:09:15 Eastern
Launch Autosequence started
The final stages of the countdown have just started with the initiation of the Launch Autosequence.  This will now control the process of fuelling the Triple boosters and the second stage before handing control over in the final minute to the rocket for launching.

14Jan2023 14:32:27 Eastern
Weather forecast looks favourable
With the 24 hour delay the weather chances have improved from 80% go to better than 90% go.  The only concern being cumulus clouds.



14Jan2023 14:23:58 Eastern
SpaceX confirm Sunday Launch
SpaceX have just announced that the Falcon Heavy is scheduled to launch on Sunday at 5:56pm Eastern.



Jan 15 - Falcon Heavy : USSF-67 Launch site KSC,FL
Launch Date Jan 15
From Launch Pad LC-39A
Launch Window : 5:56pm Eastern (22:56 GMT)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 heavy will launch from Kennedy Space Centre carrying a twin payload for the United States Space Force. The two side boosters from this mission will return to land at LZ-1 whilst the central core booster will be expendable.

The USSF describe the payloads as:
The forward spacecraft, SSC’s Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM (CBAS)-2, is a satellite destined for geosynchronous orbit to provide communications relay capabilities in support of our senior leaders and combatant commanders. The mission of CBAS-2 is to augment existing military satellite communication capabilities and continuously broadcast military data through space-based satellite relay links.

The second spacecraft, the Long Duration Propulsive ESPA (LDPE)-3A, is used to rapidly place multiple, diverse payloads into orbit and provide critical data to inform and influence future U.S. Space Force programs. This LDPE-3A mission includes two SSC payloads: catcher and WASSAT, and three payloads developed by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SRCO). The SRCO payloads include two operational prototypes for enhanced situational awareness, and an operational prototype crypto/interface encryption payload providing secure space-to-ground communications capability. The LDPE spacecraft will continue to provide access to space for multiple DoD space Science & Technology (S&T) demonstration experiments.