Watch SpaceX launch a satellite for Luxembourg on a used Falcon 9 rocket

Update January 31st, 5:03PM ET: The Falcon 9 rocket successfully deployed GovSat-1, which is now in geostationary transfer orbit. Up next for SpaceX is the first flight of its new Falcon Heavy rocket, currently slated for February 6th.

On Wednesday, SpaceX is set to launch its second Falcon 9 rocket of the year, sending up a satellite that will provide secure communications for the government of Luxembourg. And for the sixth time, SpaceX will use one of its boosters that has already flown to space and back.

The Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched back in May 2017, when it lofted a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office and then landed back at SpaceX’s ground landing pad. However, this particular rocket won’t be flying again. SpaceX doesn’t have plans to land the booster after launch, and the company didn’t give a reason why.

This satellite is going to a particularly high orbit, which means the Falcon 9 will have less fuel leftover to perform one of its signature landings. However, SpaceX has recovered rockets that have gone to this altitude before by landing them on the company’s drone ships in the ocean. The decision to not land may be due to the fact that this is an older, out-of-date iteration of the rocket known as the Block 3. SpaceX flew another Block 3 rocket for the second time in December and didn’t try to recover that one either. Right now, SpaceX is flying Block 4 versions of the rocket and will eventually fly the final, upgraded version of the Falcon 9 known as Block 5 sometime this year. This last iteration will significantly improve the rocket’s reusability, according to CEO Elon Musk, allowing the vehicles to fly up to 10 times or more.

But of course, the Falcon 9 doesn’t have to land in order to do its job. This rocket is tasked with sending up a joint public and private satellite called GovSat-1. The probe is meant to be used by both Luxembourg’s government and a satellite operator in the European country called SES, to provide secure communications and surveillance for the military. The satellite is also “equipped with anti-jamming features,” making it extra resilient against attack.

This launch will mark the third time SES has flown a satellite on one of SpaceX’s used Falcon 9s. The Luxembourg company has been a strong advocate of reusable rockets and was the first to ever fly on a previously flown Falcon 9.

It’s also the first flight for SpaceX after the Zuma mission, which was a contentious one for the company. Unclear reports indicated that the classified satellite that went up on that flight actually fell back to Earth and was destroyed. However, SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell made it very clear that the company’s Falcon 9 performed as it was supposed to, and the fact that the company is moving ahead with launches is a big sign that SpaceX probably didn’t suffer any technical failures. Once this mission gets off the ground, SpaceX will at long last move ahead with the first demonstration flight of its Falcon Heavy rocket: a heavy-lift vehicle that consists of three Falcon 9 cores. Its launch is currently scheduled for February 6th.

The GovSat-1 launch is set to take off from SpaceX’s launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and the company can go up any time during a launch window that lasts from 4:25PM ET to 6:46PM ET on January 31st. The mission was originally supposed to take place on Tuesday afternoon, but it was delayed a day so that the company could replace a sensor. Weather is looking nice for Wednesday, with a 90 percent chance of good conditions for flight. SpaceX’s webcast of the launch will start about 15 minutes before liftoff, so check back Wednesday afternoon to see this rocket send a satellite to orbit.

Update January 30th, 3:15PM ET: This post was updated to include the new launch date for the mission.