SpaceX rolled its Falcon Heavy rocket out to Launch Complex 39A on Tuesday, September 29, clearing one of the last major hurdles before the classified NROL-97 mission lifts off from Florida on October 1.
The 16-second video accompanying the announcement shows the triple-core heavy-lifter leaving its hangar and riding toward the pad. SpaceX shared the footage Tuesday evening without giving a launch time, but the rollout is the clearest sign yet that preparations are on track. A pad rollout usually means fueling rehearsals and final vehicle checks come next, with the rocket going vertical ahead of launch day.
The move to the pad follows the rocket’s unveiling inside the LC-39A hangar days earlier, when SpaceX showed off the 27 Merlin engine nozzles arranged beneath the rocket’s three first-stage cores. SpaceX has been sharing the NROL-97 buildup in stages, with the hangar footage landing just three days before the scheduled launch.
NROL-97 is a National Reconnaissance Office mission flying in partnership with the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. The NRO’s launch page confirms an October 1 liftoff target from Kennedy Space Center, with liftoff aimed at 11:53 p.m. Eastern and a backup opportunity on October 2.
The Falcon Heavy milestone arrives during a packed week for SpaceX. On Monday, the company recapped Starship Flight 14 after the vehicle reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites, with Starlink streaming live video back from the ship during the flight.
With the rocket now at the pad, the final countdown to Thursday night’s launch window has effectively begun.
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