Q&A with Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer at SES

U.S. Air Force officials signed off Monday on a plan for SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, rivals in the launch services market, to fire off Falcon 9 and Atlas 5 rockets from neighboring launch pads at Cape Canaveral on Tuesday evening and Thursday morning.

The 10th dedicated cargo delivery mission by SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, and the first to liftoff from launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will carry more than 5,000 pounds of equipment to the International Space Station.

The proposal would allow SpaceX to take over Space Launch Complex 6, United Launch Alliance’s former Delta 4 launch site, and convert it for use to launch both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.