CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. — For many space fans, the New Year started Wednesday night as SpaceX sent up Florida's first launch of 2024 with the Ovzon 3 mission. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Ovzon 3 launch happened at 6:04 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Jan. 3

  • Lift off was from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

  • Expect a sonic boom once the first-stage booster of the Falcon 9 comes in for a landing

  • Scroll down to learn more about the Ovzon 3 satellite

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated the company.

The 10-minute launch window opened at 6:04 p.m. ET.

If the launch did not happen, SpaceX stated the next attempt would have been Thursday with an 87-minute launch window that opens at 4:47 p.m. ET.

The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 90% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concern being the thick cloud layers rule.

Going into orbit

This Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, called B1076, has nine successful launches to its record, not counting this one.

After the stage separation, the first-stage booster landed on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where many heard a sonic boom.

About the mission

The small communications satellite is from the Swedish/U.S. company Ovzon. The company awarded Maxar Technologies to build the Ovzon 3 satellite in 2018. The satellite is designed to increase mobile broadband connectivity in underserved regions.

Founded in 2006, Ovzon is a company with offices in Stockholm, Sweden, Herndon, Va., and Tampa.

The Ovzon 3 will be the company’s first mobile communication satellite to be launched.

“Ovzon 3 is the first privately funded and developed Swedish geostationary satellite ever to be launched. It’s also the most powerful GEO satellite ever to be put into orbit covering 1/3 of the earth via its steerable spot beams,” the company stated in a press release.

The steerable spot beams will provide power density and good antenna receive performance as the 3,968-pound (1,800-kilogram) satellite will be in a geostationary orbit around the Earth.

This new type of communications satellite will also use a unique on-board processor that the company hopes will provide “assured connectivity”.

Learn more about the Ovzon 3 satellite

Anthony Leone - Digital Media Producer

Anthony has a long career as an editor and reporter for newspapers and news websites. He has covered general and breaking news, crime, and politics. In addition, he also covers space and rocket launches, where he has won awards for this coverage.

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