SpaceX Launch Schedule: Two Rocket Launches, Landings Planned For This Weekend

Update Thursday, 12:47 p.m. EDT: The EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite launch that was originally scheduled for Saturday evening from NASA's Kennedy Space Center has been postponed, SpaceX tweeted. The launch is now targeted for Oct. 11.

This weekend should be full of rocket launches if the weather cooperates. Elon Musk’s company SpaceX is planning two rocket launches and recoveries both happening in a span of just 48 hours. The first is scheduled for Saturday evening and the second is planned for early Monday morning EDT.

The two launches will occur on different coasts of the country from one another, the first at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the second from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Musk Tweeted about the two launches and posted a photo from a past launch on Instagram.

The launch from KSC is currently scheduled for 6:53 p.m. EDT Saturday. A Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch an EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite that will help provide media across North America. The rocket used for the launch will launch on a rocket that had a first stage that was previously flown. The rocket will launch the satellite to the 105 degree West position where it will provide 50-state Ku-band transponder capacity, according to EchoStar. It will expand coverage to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Visitors to the KSC are invited to view the launch in person from one of two locations. They can view from the Apollo/Saturn V Center located about four miles from launch pad 39A, tickets are required to view from this position. Or those who wish to view the launch from the center can do so for the price of admission.

The second launch of the 48-hour period is scheduled for 8:37 a.m. EDT Monday from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SpaceX will launch 10 Iridium satellites as part of the next mobile communications fleet. These satellites will also be launched with a Falcon 9 rocket, the original launch date was scheduled for September but was pushed back twice to October. This is the third launch SpaceX will conduct for Iridium, the company has contracted SpaceX to launch 75 communications satellites for them.

Iridium is launching satellites to “enhance Iridium's ability to meet the growing demand for global mobile communications on land, at sea and in the skies,” according to the company’s site. This is something SpaceX is also working on, with the development of Starlink. There were trademark requests filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in August. Musk has previously said his goal is to make internet access universal on Earth and also help bring internet to space as well.

Both launches will be broadcast live on the SpaceX website as well as on the YouTube channel. Additionally, they’re weather dependent so they might end up canceled due to weather or other technical difficulties.