Fueling Continues for Falcon 9
Liquid oxygen at minus-297 degrees F is being pumped into the SpaceX Falcon 9 at this hour as the countdown continues toward a 6:05 p.m. EST liftoff. A portion of the propellant boils off during the countdown and is vented producing the cloud beside the rocket in this image. A trickle of liquid oxygen will be pumped into the tanks until the last moments of the countdown to replace the amount that boils off.
The nine Merlin engines on the first stage and single Merlin engine on the second stage burn refined kerosene and oxygen to power the rocket off the ground and send NOAA’s DSCOVR satellite into space. While launch preparations move ahead, launch teams remain focused on upper level winds which are still outside of limits.
