SpaceX Launch On Sunday Will Put A Sirius-XM Satellite Into Orbit

In the last few years, anyone who purchased a vehicle probably got a free subscription to Sirius-XM satellite radio with it. Satellite radio is very convenient for people who drive all the time or don't have any radio stations in their area that play the type of music they like. The best thing about satellite radio is that you can drive coast-to-coast listening to the same station.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday, June 6. The launch will be broadcast live and is putting a new Sirius-XM satellite into orbit. The satellite is called SXM-8 and was built by Maxar Technologies.

Lift-off is expected to happen about 12:26 AM EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. SpaceX has a one-hour and 59-minute window beginning at 12:26 AM EDT to launch the rocket. The SXM-8 satellite is the second of two satellites launched by SpaceX for Sirius-XM as part of the satellite radio network's efforts to replace outdated satellites currently in orbit.

SpaceX will be broadcasting the launch, with the stream starting about 15 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX conducted another launch this week on Thursday, June 3. That launch put a capsule into space that docked with the ISS this morning, delivering supplies and cargo to the space station. Following the liftoff of the satellite tomorrow, SpaceX will try to recover its first-stage Falcon 9 rocket.

The company has become highly adept at recovering its used rockets and refining them multiple times. If the first stage is recovered successfully, it will mark the 87th recovery for SpaceX. The Falcon 9 rocket being used in the mission is B1061, and this launch is its third flight. B1061 has pushed two different Crew Dragon capsules into space.