SpaceX says 'weather looking good' for Falcon Heavy's Jan 15 launch; Where to watch LIVE?

SpaceX is eyeing its next successful launch mission aboard Falcon Heavy, the world’s most powerful commercial rocket. The launch is scheduled for January 15 to install new satellites for the US Space Force (USSF) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in what would be Falcon Heavy’s 5th mission to date.

While the timing for the launch has not been disclosed, the liftoff is likely to occur at 4:25 am IST, Teslarati reported citing unofficial sources. 

SpaceX too confirmed the launch being on January 15 as it posted a tweet that read, "All systems and weather are looking good for tomorrow’s Falcon Heavy launch of the USSF-67 mission from Florida." Earlier on January 10, SpaceX conducted a full-duration static fire test of the Falcon Heavy rocket for the mission which has been named USSF-67. The rocket is currently at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and SpaceX is yet to disclose details about the timings and webcast. 

Where to watch the launch live?

SpaceX has yet to share details about its webcast but it is likely to host a live stream on its official website, YouTube, and other social media handles. While the webcast normally begins a few minutes prior to liftoff, it remains to be seen when exactly will the live stream begin. 

About the Falcon Heavy and USSF-67

The Falcon Heavy rocket has three boosters each of which uses nine Merlin engines that together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft. Standing 70-metre tall, the rocket is capable of lifting nearly 64 metric tons (1,41,000 lbs) to orbit, according to SpaceX. Two of these first-stage boosters will land at Landing Zone 1 and 2 a few minutes after the launch. 

For the USSF-67 mission, the Falcon Heavy will carry two payloads with multiple satellites. The first of these payloads is the Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM (CBAS-2) which is a communications relay satellite. It will support operations by augmenting "existing military satellite communication capabilities and continuously broadcast military data through space-based satellite relay links", reported Ars Technica. The second payload is the Long Duration Propulsive ESPA-3A, which will host five smaller satellites that will be installed at varying altitudes. SpaceX has reportedly planned five Falcon Heavy missions this year including launching NASA's Psyche spacecraft toward a metal-rich asteroid toward the Psyche asteroid.