SpaceX launch recap: Telkomsat Merah Putih 2 mission Tuesday from Cape Canaveral in Florida

Launch recap:  Scroll down for live coverage of the Tuesday, Feb. 20, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.

Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team live coverage of today's Telkomsat Merah Putih 2 mission (as coined by SpaceX) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

SpaceX is targeting a two-hour window from 3:11 p.m. to 5:11 p.m. EST to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, navigational warnings show.

The Falcon 9 will deploy the Telkomsat HTS 113BT satellite into low-Earth orbit after ascending in an easterly trajectory from the Cape.

Afterward, the first-stage booster will target landing aboard SpaceX's Just Read the Instructions drone ship on the Atlantic Ocean.

Countdown Timer

SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands

Update 3:19 p.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX's drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 17th mission.

Liftoff!

Update 3:11 p.m.: SpaceX has just launched the Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

SpaceX launch webcast begins

Update 3:08 p.m.: SpaceX's launch webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) is now posted at the top of this page, later than expected.

Liftoff is scheduled in three minutes from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Falcon 9 booster to log 17th flight

Update 2:48 p.m.: This mission marks the 17th launch of the rocket's first-stage booster, SpaceX reported.

The booster previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA and eight Starlink missions, SpaceX reported.

Following stage separation, the first stage will target a drone ship landing 8 minutes and 37 seconds after liftoff.

SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway

Update 2:41 p.m.: Visual cues indicate Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40, though SpaceX has yet to make an official announcement.

That means today's mission is now committed to lift off at 3:11 p.m., or else the launch must be postponed.

SpaceX releases photo of rocket

Update 2:25 p.m.: SpaceX officials have tweeted a photo of the Falcon 9 awaiting liftoff at Launch Complex 40.

SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard

Update 2:13 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of the Falcon 9 launch.

Space Force: 95+% 'go for launch' conditions

Update 1:50 p.m.: Odds of good weather for the upcoming launch should exceed 95%, according to the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron.

"Both Tuesday and Wednesday should see favorable weather conditions over the Cape, as high pressure over the central Gulf of Mexico slowly drifts eastward," the squadron's forecast said.

"For the launch day, weather conditions are expected to be almost ideal with a slight possibility of a stray cumulus or cirrus cloud during the window. As such, the likelihood of a weather constraint violation is very low," the forecast said.

For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launch recap: Tuesday's Telkomsat Merah Putih 2 mission