After government shutdown, SpaceX to resume Falcon Heavy preparations

Update, Monday:

Efforts in Congress have paved the way for the government to open as soon as Tuesday, which means Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station could also return to active status soon. If all goes well, SpaceX will continue progressing toward a Falcon Heavy test fire.

Original story:

SpaceX will be unable to test fire its three-core Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center due to the government shutdown, further delaying checkout operations ahead of the rocket's demonstration flight, the 45th Space Wing said Sunday.

"Due to the shutdown removing key members of the civilian workforce, the 45th Space Wing will not be able to support commercial static fires taking place on KSC," the Wing said, further noting that launch operations at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are also on hold until the shutdown is resolved.

SpaceX teams have fueled the 230-foot-tall Falcon Heavy rocket at pad 39A at least twice ahead of the static test fire, which is essentially a test before the test – engineers will examine data from the 12-second firing of the rocket's 27 Merlin main engines before giving the all clear to launch on its premiere mission.

[SpaceX Falcon Heavy status updates: No test fire due to government shutdown]

[Launch schedule: Upcoming Florida rocket launches and landings]

Falcon Heavy represents SpaceX's entry into the heavy-lift market and, when it launches, will become the most powerful rocket in the world thanks to its 5.1 million pounds of thrust.

The 40-foot-wide rocket will ultimately allow the California-based company to take heavier payloads to orbit while pursuing its reusability goals. Its two side boosters will land at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1 while the center stage will descend on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook at @EmreKelly.