NASA to slingshot Europa Clipper around Mars for gravity assist
NASA’s Europa Clipper will initiate a gravity assist on its journey to Jupiter. The probe will slingshot around Mars to gain speed. NASA footage
- SpaceX has scheduled two Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral on April 21.
- The first launch, CRS-32, will carry supplies to the ISS before sunrise, followed by a sonic boom upon the booster landing.
- The second, Bandwagon-3, is a rideshare mission launching numerous small satellites after sunset, also expected to produce a sonic boom.
SpaceX plans to start next week off with a doubleheader rocket launch April 21, and both the pre-sunrise and post-sunset launches will provide sonic booms.
The April 21 doubleheader will begin early, as SpaceX has plans to launch a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) before sunrise. The instantaneous launch window opens at 4:15 a.m., with the Falcon 9 lifting off from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A. This means SpaceX must launch on time or stand down − the reason being the mission is a delivery to the ISS, which is orbiting at more than 17,500 mph.
The launch will be a wakeup call for many. SpaceX plans to land the Falcon 9 first-stage back at a Cape Canaveral Landing Zone. This will cause a sonic boom to sound throughout the area. Depending on weather conditions and viewing location, there is a chance the first-stage booster could be briefly visible as comes in for a landing at the Cape.
Know as the CRS-32 mission (Commercial Resupply 32), a Cargo Dragon spacecraft will deliver supplies and experiments to the astronauts on the station. Altogether, it’s carrying 6,700 pounds of cargo and more than 30 science experiments.
The second launch of the day will occur after sunset, and will see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch a rideshare mission known as Bandwagon-3. SpaceX has yet to confirm the mission or timing, however a Geospatial Navigational warning shows the mission launching during a window that runs from 8:43 p.m. to 9:23 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40.
This launch will be a loud one as well, as traditionally SpaceX has landed the first-stage booster from the Bandwagon missions at the Cape Canaveral Landing Zone.
The Bandwagon rideshare missions allow private and government companies to launch small payloads — such as small satellites — without purchasing a whole rocket launch. Bandwagon-3 will launch dozens of those small satellites for customers, according to the Space Coast Office of Tourism. The identities of the payloads and organizations have not been revealed.
The FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will provide live coverage beginning two-hours prior to the CRS-32 mission, and beginning 90 minutes prior to Bandwagon- 3 mission at FloridaToday.com/Space.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.