Second Stage Engine Cutoff Reached

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A at 10:19 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A at 10:19 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. Photo credit: NASA Television

The initial second stage engine cutoff (SECO-1) is complete. The second stage engine will restart for its second burn (SES-2) in just about 44 minutes. This second burn (SECO-2) will give the Psyche spacecraft the additional thrust needed to escape Earth’s gravity, after which the spacecraft will separate from the second stage. The deployed Psyche spacecraft will then continue its roughly six-year journey to the asteroid Psyche.

You can continue watching the launch live coverage on NASA TV, YouTube, Twitter, the NASA app, or the agency’s website, and follow along right here on the blog for updates through Psyche’s deployment.