SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launches From Florida After Weather Clears

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SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launched from Florida Sunday evening after several weather-related delays.

The rocket lifted off at about 8:26 p.m. eastern time when high winds calmed around the launch pad.

Heading into the weekend, the Falcon Heavy launch was scrubbed three days in a row. At least one of those, on Thursday, was blamed specifically on the weather but storms were a concern all three days.

There was a potential launch opportunity Saturday, but SpaceX opted to skip it due to additional weather concerns.

Thursday's scrub had set the stage for back-to-back SpaceX launches from Florida on Friday, but it was not to be.

The first, a Falcon 9, lifted off as planned around 6:12 p.m. Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

T​he first, a Falcon 9, lifted off as planned around 6:12 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

T​he second a Falcon Heavy set to launch from the adjacent Kennedy Space Center, was called off with 59 seconds on the countdown clock.

The reason for Friday's scrub wasn't immediately announced. SpaceX tweeted that the "vehicle and payload remain healthy." Engineers had cleared the rocket to fly after the launch pad was hit by lightning Thursday night.

Weather was originally 30% go for the Falcon Heavy on Friday, according to the U.S. Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron, which issues official launch-day forecasts. SpaceX said conditions had later become more favorable during the Heavy launch window.

The schedule at one point had the potential to set a record for the shortest amount of time between launches, according to Florida Today. The current record of 90 minutes was set during the Gemini program in 1966, the newspaper reported.

T​he rocket will carry a payload that includes a broadband communications satellite.

F​alcon Heavy is SpaceX's most powerful operational rocket, with a thrust at liftoff equal to eighteen Boeing 747 airplanes. Larger than the workhorse Falcon 9, it's the precursor to the Super Heavy, which powered SpaceX's first Starship test flight last week that ended in fiery explosion.

F​alcon Heavy's first launch on Feb. 6, 2018, shot a red Tesla roadster owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk into orbit, a mannequin named Starman in its driver's seat. There have been a handful of Falcon Heavy launches since then, sometimes bringing big crowds to Florida's Space Coast.

P​art of the draw of a Falcon Heavy launch is the potential for a double booster landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But this time, the rocket's payload and other factors don't allow for the boosters to be recovered.

Check out these links for more of our space coverage:

-​SpaceX Starship Explodes After Liftoff From Texas

-Spectacular 'Blue Marble' Photos Of Earth From Space

-​SpaceX Falcon9 Launches Satellite To Monitor Air Pollution

-​Relativity Space 3D Rocket Launches From Florida

J​an Childs covers space, climate, news and features for weather.com

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