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0210 GMT (9:10 p.m. EST on Sun.)
Testing of the Falcon 9 rocket's flight termination system are getting underway at this point in the countdown, as fueling of the two-stage launcher is wrapping up.

A final weather briefing is planned at the T-minus 1 hour point in the countdown, but no problems with weather are expected this evening.

It will take about 35 minutes for the Falcon 9 rocket to deliver the ABS 3A and Eutelsat 115 West B satellites into supersynchronous transfer orbit. Using xenon-ion thrusters, the satellites will spend the next six to eight months reshaping their orbits to reach posts 22,300 miles over the equator.

0115 GMT (8:15 p.m. EST on Sun.)
Fueling of the 224-foot-tall Falcon 9 rocket is underway at Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad after the SpaceX launch team issued a "go" to begin propellant loading.

The two-stage rocket burns RP-1 fuel -- a high-refined kerosene -- and liquid oxygen during today's 35-minute launch sequence.

Radio checks between the rocket and the Air Force's Eastern Range have begun at 8:05 p.m. EST (0105 GMT). First motion checks should begin at 8:20 p.m. EST (0120 GMT).

Testing of the Falcon 9 rocket's destruct mechanisms is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. EST (0205 GMT), and the launcher's on-board power systems will be activated at 9:20 p.m. EST (0220 GMT).

0040 GMT (7:40 p.m. EST on Sun.)
The Falcon 9's launch pad has been cleared of personnel and a poll of the SpaceX launch team has given the go for filling of the two-stage launcher with kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants.
SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2015
2030 GMT (3:30 p.m. EST)
The 224-foot-tall Falcon 9 rocket has been rolled out and rotated vertical atop Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad, aiming for liftoff at 10:50 p.m. EST (0350 GMT).

Workers then began plugging into electrical and propellant lines ahead of the start of the countdown today.

No problems are reported at this stage in the launch preparations. Fueling of the two-stage rocket with RP-1 fuel -- a highly-refined kerosene -- and liquid oxygen should begin shortly around 7:50 p.m. EST (0050 GMT).

The rocket is one of the tallest in the world. The Falcon 9's first and second stages measure 12 feet in diameter, and the SpaceX-built payload fairing housing the Eutelsat 115 West B and ABS 3A spacecraft is 17 feet in diameter (5.2 meters) and 43 feet tall.

Today's flight marks the 16th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since debuting in June 2010. It's the 11th mission of the improved Falcon 9 v1.1 version, which made its inaugural launch in September 2013 from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The weather outlook for today's launch calls for a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions.

1600 GMT (11:00 a.m. EST)
A new class of Boeing-built spacecraft will fly into orbit for the first time Sunday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, combining Boeing’s electric propulsion technology with SpaceX’s bargain launch prices to send up communications satellites at a fraction of the typical cost.

SpaceX ground teams are preparing for liftoff of the 224-foot-tall Falcon 9 rocket at 10:50 p.m. EST Sunday (0350 GMT Monday) from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad. The launch window extends for 42 minutes, 30 seconds.

Read our full story.

See photos of the satellites being prepared for launch.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2015
1545 GMT (10:45 a.m. EST)
The forecast for Sunday's launch continues to show good conditions, with a 70 percent chance of favorable weather expected during the 42-minute launch window opening at 10:50 p.m. EST (0350 GMT Monday).

The main worries in the forecast released this morning by the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron are with violating thick cloud and cumulus cloud rules at Cape Canaveral.

The rainy weather around Central Florida today will give way to improved conditions Sunday.

"Through the day Sunday, winds, clouds and rain gradually diminish as upper level ridging builds in," forecasters wrote. "Winds will remain on-shore however, resulting in a continued risk for coastal showers along the Space Coast. The primary weather concerns for launch Sunday evening are cumulus clouds associated with coastal showers and lingering thick clouds. Maximum upper-level winds will be northwesterly at 95 knots near 40,000 feet."

The outlook calls for isolated showers and scattered clouds at 2,500 feet and 10,000 feet, along with a broken deck of cirrus clouds at 25,000 feet. Winds will be from the southeast at 10 to 15 mph, and the temperature at launch time should be about 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the launch slips to Monday, the forecast is a bit better, with an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015
SpaceX officials convened today for a launch readiness review, clearing ground teams to press on with preparations for Sunday night's launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with a pair of communications satellites.

The satellites are owned by Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite, and their launch marks the debut of a new Boeing-built bus using all-electric propulsion to guide the spacecraft into their final orbits 22,300 miles over the equator.

Cocooned inside the Falcon 9 rocket's 5.2-meter (17-foot) diameter payload fairing, the satellites rolled out of SpaceX's payload processing facility Thursday to go into the hangar at Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad, where they are being connected to the Falcon 9 rocket.

The Falcon 9 completed an on-pad test firing of its nine first stage main engines Wednesday, ramping up to full power for about three seconds as the booster remained on the launch pad.

Review of data from the static engine firing shows no issues so far.

Sunday night's launch window opens at 10:50 p.m. EST (0350 GMT Monday) and extends for 42 minutes.

The weather outlook is favorable, with a 70 percent chance of good conditions predicted by the U.S. Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron.

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