KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The winds died down for SpaceX as it queued up its rarely used Falcon Heavy right after sunset from the Space Coast on Sunday.
The fifth flight of the powerhouse rocket lifted off at 5:56 p.m. Eastern time from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A on a mission for the Space Force dubbed USSF-67. With winds over 20 mph gusting on Saturday across the region, the launch was pushed by a day.
But Sunday’s skies were clear and calm so at liftoff, the rocket’s plume lit up in glorious orange billows while creating a distant dark shadow slanting across the horizon.
