SpaceX targeting late Wednesday and Thursday night for Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 launches

Hughes JUPITER 3 (EchoStar XXIV) ultra high-density satellite pictured before it was delivered to the Space Coast for preparations ahead of launching aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A Falcon Heavy is set to launch the Jupiter 3 satellite from Kennedy Space Center late Wednesday, July 26, between 10 p.m. EDT and 1 a.m. Thursday, July 27.

SpaceX teams are gearing up for a possible launch and landing doubleheader this week on the Space Coast.

At Kennedy Space Center, teams are prepping to launch a triple-core Falcon Heavy rocket with a communications satellite for EchoStar. At nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, another batch of Starlink satellites is set to fly on a Falcon 9.

Both missions are targeted to liftoff late Wednesday, July 26, into early Thursday, July 27, and weather conditions for the launch windows between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. look mostly favorable.

Aside from double launches, SpaceX will also shoot for dual Falcon Heavy booster landings at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Landing Zones 1 and 2. The landing attempts should produce startling middle-of-the-night low-frequency sonic booms that could wake up residents across the Space Coast.

Because the launch schedule is constantly shifting, however, spectators should expect the timing of one or both of these missions to push to Thursday or beyond.

What's the weather look like?

On Monday, Space Force forecasters projected an 80% chance of "go" conditions for the overnight liftoff of both missions on Wednesday.

"After hot and active weather over the weekend and start to the week, a pattern change will bring generally favorable conditions for the launch window Wednesday night," forecasters said in a report Monday. "Daily storms (should) push well inland by the late afternoon and evening."

The only main concern for liftoff and landing is a slight chance of cumulus and anvil clouds from showers that could produce lightning around the spaceport.

"Any lingering showers and storms over the interior will begin to die off after sunset, and the only concern will be associated with any isolated coastal showers that are able to develop from the onshore flow," forecasters said.

Conditions for a sea-based recovery of the Starlink mission's Falcon 9 booster on a drone ship were listed as low-risk. Meanwhile, the center core booster of the Falcon Heavy will be expended over the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX will not attempt to recover it.

Should either mission slip to the backup launch window overnight Thursday, weather conditions stay relatively the same at 75% "go." Forecasters expect only a slightly higher chance of unsettled weather then, but that should stay mostly stay offshore.

What are the mission payloads?

Launch Wednesday, July 26

Company / Agency: SpaceX for Hughes Network Systems
Rocket: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
Location: Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
Launch Window: 10:04 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 26, to 1:12 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 27
Trajectory: East-Northeast
Weather: 85% "go"
Landing: Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station; the center core is expendable
Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff