13.12.2024

Superstitious? Not SpaceX. SpaceX rocket launch set for Friday the 13th from Cape

SpaceX appears not to be deterred by superstitions, as they plan to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on Friday the 13th.

A National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational advisory indicates a four-hour launch window on the night of Friday, December 13. According to SpaceX, launch will occur at 8:04 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral. This mission is called RRT-1.

The Space Coast Office of Tourism lists the launch as GPSIII SV10, indicating the launch of a GPS navigation satellite. The GPSIII satellites are built by Lockheed Martin specifically for a Space Force Global Positioning System satellite constellation. Lockheed Martin describes these satellites as having "new technology and advanced capabilities".

The company also plans to launch a rocket on a Starlink mission earlier on Friday from Vandenburg Space Force Base. The first of double Friday the 13th SpaceX launches will occur during a four-and-a-half hour window which open 2:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. PT. Like the Florida missions, SpaceX will stream the launch five minutes prior to liftoff.

Rocket launches and Friday the 13th

The last launch which occurred on a Friday the 13th from Florida was NASA's Psyche mission. The six-year mission to asteroids launched atop a Falcon Heavy on Friday, October 13, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center. The launch went off without issue − as well as the double landing of the side boosters.

However, the number 13 can be enough to make space enthusiasts weary. While it did not launch on a Friday, the ill-fated Apollo 13 had to forego a moon landing in April 1970 when an onboard oxygen tank exploded. After quick thinking by NASA and a perilous journey back to Earth, the crew of three astronauts survived to tell the story.

As a result of the incident, the year 1970 did not see a moon landing. The next mission, Apollo 14, did not launch until January 31, 1971.

Quelle: Florida Today