Question 1

What rocket is launching SXM-8?

Accepted Answer

SXM-8 is launching on the Falcon 9 Block 5.

Question 2

Who is launching SXM-8?

Accepted Answer

SXM-8 is being launched by SpaceX, a commercial launch provider founded in 2002.

Question 3

Where is SXM-8 launching from?

Accepted Answer

SXM-8 is launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is SXM-8 heading to?

Accepted Answer

SXM-8 is heading to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Question 5

Is the Falcon 9 Block 5 reusable?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Falcon 9 Block 5 is designed to be reused, with boosters that can fly multiple missions.

Question 6

How many times has the Falcon 9 Block 5 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Falcon 9 Block 5 has launched 612 times to date, with 610 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the SXM-8 mission?

Accepted Answer

SXM-8 is a large high power broadcasting satellite for SiriusXM's digital audio radio service (DARS).

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) got in July 2016 the contract to build the two satellites based on their SSL-1300 bus - SXM-7 and SXM-8. Satellite design operates in the S-band spectrum. Each satellite will generate more than 20-kW of power and will have a large unfurlable antenna reflector, which enables broadcast to radios without the need for large dish-type antennas on the ground.

SXM-8 is meant to replace the XM-4 satellite. SXM-7 was meant to replace the XM-3, but suffered a failure in orbit 6 weeks after its launch.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

SXM-8

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 40

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions