A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the EchoStar 23 communications satellite for EchoStar Corp. EchoStar 23, based on a spare platform from the canceled CMBStar 1 satellite program, will provide direct-to-home television broadcast services over Brazil.

LAUNCH TIME: TBA

LAUNCH VIEWING:

Best viewing sites for the general public include: anywhere along the shores of the Indian River in Titusville, or any of the beaches south of Port Canaveral along the Space Coast. (Due to the scheduled time of this launch, no viewing opportunities are available at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.)

**Launch date, time, and viewing opportunities are subject to change. Launches can be affected by technical and mechanical issues as well as range operations and weather, either in advance or at the last minute.

The launch window is the time period during which the rocket must be launched in order to reach its intended target. If the rocket is not launched during this time period, the launch will be rescheduled for the next available window.

LAUNCH VEHICLE:

Falcon 9 is SpaceX’s two-stage rocket manufactured to successfully transport satellites and their Dragon spacecraft into orbit. Currently the only rocket fully designed and developed in the 21st century, Falcon 9 delivers payloads to space aboard the Dragon spacecraft or inside a composite fairing. Safety and mission success were critical in the design of the Falcon 9 rocket. With a minimal number of separation events and nine first-stage Merlin engines, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is designed so that even if two of the engines shut down, the rocket can still operate. In 2012, SpaceX became the first commercial company to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Although these flights have not transported crew, SpaceX continues to work toward their goal of one day carrying astronauts to space in Crew Dragon’s pressurized capsule using the Falcon 9.