It’s been a long, rough road… launch forecasts being issued and retracted, the recovery fleet heading out and then coming back, dates slipping and slipping, again and again… but at long, long last, we may actually have information on the Turksat 5a launch (woooo!)
As of the time of this post, SpaceX’s Turksat 5A mission is now scheduled to launch from pad SLC-40 on Thursday, January 7th at 8:28 pm local time (GMT-5) – but that’s slipped, what, three times in the past three days? so if you’re planning to drive more than a half hour to see this one, seriously, wait until the very last moment before making any plans or spending any non-refundable money on the trip. Due to the late hour and the launch trajectory (pretty much straight out to sea), the best viewing option for this one is probably the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, but other options like U.S. 1 in Titusville and the Max Brewer Bridge will also work. The 45th Weather Squadron is predicting an 80% probability of favorable weather for launch at this time, but also forecasts a cold front moving in, so make sure to bring warm clothing or blankets – and there is a four-hour launch window, so remember snacks and drinks, in case you end up having to wait.
Of course, what comes up must come down, and in SpaceX’s case, that usually means that a drone ship will come cruising into Port Canaveral with a Falcon 9 booster on its back within a few days after launch – as always, you’ll want to keep an eye on @Julia_Bergeron and @SpaceXFleet for further updates on the booster return.
And speaking of things returning from space via Port Canaveral: the Dragon spacecraft launched to the ISS on the CRS-21 mission is expected to splash down off the coast of Cape Canaveral on Monday, January 11th at 9 pm local time (GMT-5):
Stay tuned to Space Twitter for updates, folks!