The other major development aboard this satellite is that it features the latest generation “Digital Transparent Processor.” According to Hispasat, this means that the spacecraft doesn’t have a single fixed customer or market.

According to Thales Alenia Space, the bus uses electric propulsion, provides 20 kW of spacecraft power with two deployable solar arrays, and has an expected lifespan of 15 years.

The first stage is expected to land on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions, which recently underwent maintenance at Port Canaveral.

The SpaceX support ship Bob is also downrange in an attempt to recover the protective payload fairings, which are jettisoned during the flight and parachute back to the Atlantic Ocean.

At T-1 minute, Falcon 9 goes into “startup”, meaning the onboard computers have full control of the countdown as the propellant tanks are pressurized for flight.

The first stage will then perform two burns, with the second gently landing the vehicle on top of Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean nearly eight minutes after taking off.