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Falcon Heavy Main Engine Cutoff

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The GOES-U satellite is the final satellite in the GOES-R series, which serves a critical role in providing continuous coverage of the Western Hemisphere, including monitoring tropical systems in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX

The Falcon Heavy center core’s nine Merlin engines have reached cutoff, and the booster has separated from the second stage.

Coming up next, the Falcon Heavy’s second stage engine starts up. Following that, the protective payload fairings will be jettisoned revealing NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) to the vacuum of space for the first time as it makes its way to geosynchronous orbit.

Continue checking NASA’s GOES blog for additional mission milestones, or join the conversation and get updates on social media by following these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NOAASatellites, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites, NASA Goddard
Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites

Engine Chill Complete, Countdown to GOES-U Mission Launch Continues

Countdown to the 5:26 p.m. EDT liftoff of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida continues as planned.

Moments ago, the “engine chill” process of conditioning the 27 main Merlin engines on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket got underway.

This conditioning process helps the engines avoid cold shock when the super-chilled liquid oxygen flows during launch.

Follow the GOES-U blog for mission milestones or watch NASA’s live coverage on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

X: @NASA, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NOAASatellites, @NASAGoddard
Facebook: NASA, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites, NASA Goddard
Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites

Launch Time Adjusted for GOES-U Mission

Launch officials are targeting 5:26 p.m. EDT for the new launch time of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) mission.