SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 30 at 7:18 p.m. EDT, or 23:18 UTC, for Falcon 9’s launch of the SAOCOM 1B mission, which will carry the SAOCOM 1B spacecraft to orbit in addition to two rideshare payloads, Tyvak-0172 and PlanetiQ’s GNOMES-1. The mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available on Monday, August 31 at 7:19 p.m. EDT, or 23:19 UTC. This mission marks SpaceX’s first launch to a polar orbit from the East Coast, and the first polar launch from Florida in decades.
Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched Dragon to the International Space Station for SpaceX’s 19th and 20th commercial resupply missions, and it also supported launch of SpaceX’s ninth Starlink mission. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9 on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SAOCOM 1B will deploy approximately 14 minutes after launch, GNOMES-1 and Tyvak-0172 will deploy approximately 61 and 62 minutes after liftoff.