Elon Musk Shares Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy Photo, SpaceX Delays GovSat-1 Launch

Hours after SpaceX announced it was postponing the Tuesday launch of its Falcon 9 rocket to Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk shared a picture on his Instagram account that showed the rocket in the background, with the foreground showing its larger and more powerful cousin, the Falcon Heavy.

It is a rare photograph of two rockets on adjacent launch pads, both scheduled to launch within a week of each other.

The Falcon 9 launch, which now has a window from 4:25 p.m. EST to 6:46 p.m. Wednesday, is to send a communications satellite to a geostationary transfer orbit 36,000 kilometers above the equator. Called GovSat-1, the satellite was developed by a collaboration between the government of Luxembourg and SES — a well-known satellite operator. Orbital ATK built the satellite.

GovSat-1 “enables secure communication links between theaters of tactical operations, for maritime missions or over areas affected by humanitarian crises. It is ideal to enable mobility and ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance) applications,” SpaceX said in a press release. The satellite is also “equipped with anti-jamming features, encrypted telemetry, and control.”

The payload has a mass of over 4 metric tons and the satellite has been designed to operate for 15 years. It will separate from the rocket about 32 minutes after the launch, which will be made using a reused Falcon 9 first stage. The same first stage had previously flown in May 2017, for a National Reconnaissance Office mission. Following Wednesday’s launch (there is a backup launch window for Thursday in case there is another postponement), the first stage will not be recovered.

SpaceX said the launch was postponed because of a sensor that needed to be replaced.

Before announcing the delay, the company had shared a picture showing the rocket with its payload at Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Florida.

With close to 50 launches under its wing, the Falcon 9 liftoff is not nearly as exciting anymore as the highly anticipated launch of the Falcon Heavy, currently scheduled for Feb. 6. The rocket, which would become the world’s most powerful rocket in operation if its maiden flight is successful (and the third-most powerful rocket to fly ever), has been vertical at the Space Launch Complex 39A since late December.

The Falcon 9 launch Wednesday will be webcast live and can be seen here.