Crowned with a Japanese telecommunications satellite, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket sits atop its Cape Canaveral launch pad hours before its scheduled blastoff Friday.
Standing 229 feet (70 meters) tall, the two-stage rocket rolled out of its hangar at the Complex 40 launch pad Thursday and was erected vertical for liftoff with the JCSAT 14 communications satellite for SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. of Tokyo.
Launch of the fourth Falcon 9 rocket this year is set for the opening of a two-hour window at 1:21 a.m. EDT (0521 GMT) Friday.
The rocket’s 17-foot-diameter (5.2-meter) payload fairing containing the JCSAT 14 satellite is marked with well wishes from Sky Perfect JSAT employees.
Email the author.
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.
