SLC-40

Falcon 9

SpaceX and NASA are set to send supplies to ISS overnight aboard Cargo Dragon. Liftoff is set for 2:45:36 AM ET in an instantaneous window. And it will be a quick trip once in orbit: after an approximate 28-hour flight, Dragon will dock with the orbiting outpost on Monday, August 25, around 7:30 AM ET.

At A Glance

Field Details
Mission Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon CRS-2 SpX-33 — Go for Launch!
Organization SpaceX
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket Falcon 9
Pad Space Launch Complex 40
Status Go for Launch
Status Info Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window Opens Sunday, 08/24/2025 2:45:36 AM
Window Closes Sunday, 08/24/2025 2:45:36 AM
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description 33rd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

Cargo Dragon 2 brings supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support science and research investigations that occur onboard the orbiting laboratory.

As of 10:00 AM Saturday August 23, 2025. Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult SpaceX.com for more information.

Along with the usual gamut of food, gear, and crew supplies, CRS-33 will deliver a range of scientific experiments to the International Space Station. These include stem cells that promote bone formation, aimed at studying how to prevent bone loss in space. Dragon will also carry materials for 3D printing medical implants—research that could lead to better treatments for nerve damage back on Earth.

The Tortilla Express

Another item on the launch manifest for CRS-33 is roughly 1500 tortillas. They are a staple food aboard Station — convenient, quick, and quite handy to bundle up other food items…breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are a crumb-free condensed item, making the humble tortilla one of the most likely foods humans will carry to Mars and beyond.

Other payloads include bioprinted liver tissue for examining how blood vessels form in microgravity, and tools for printing metal cubes in orbit.

Planned Reboost Test For Cargo Dragon

Cargo Dragon will also conduct a reboost test to help maintain the station’s altitude. The boost system, housed in Dragon’s trunk, features its own propellant setup and uses a pair of Draco engines powered by existing hardware.

Starting in September 2025, the system will carry out a series of burns to demonstrate its ability to sustain the lab’s orbit. This follows Dragon’s first successful test of the reboost function on November 8, 2024, during NASA’s 31st commercial resupply mission with SpaceX.

Cargo Dragon is expected to stay docked at the station through December after which it will return to Earth off of the coast of California.

Booster: B1090

This will be the seventh flight of first stage B1090, which will be supporting this mission. Previously, B1090 launched O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, O3b mPOWER-D, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, it will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas, located downrange off the South Carolina coast. There will not be a sonic boom on the Space Coast after the launch.

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 released their Launch Mission Execution Forecast yesterday afternoon, and it calls for a 70% chance of acceptable weather, with watch items being the usual summer items: cumulus clouds and nearby lightning.

Trajectory

Northeast, on the usual ISS route.

B1090 will touch down off the South Carolina coast aboard ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’

Online Viewing

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: CRS-33. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about twenty minutes before liftoff.

For official updates regarding launch timesSpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.

Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.

Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.

Launch Viewing: In Person

The best free options are available for spectators: Jetty Park, the Banana River Bridge on FL 528 W or the southern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets. Don’t forget bug spray.

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SpaceX USSF-36 OTV-8

SpaceX launched their 101st Falcon 9 mission of 2025 last night from Kennedy Space Center when the company sent the Boeing X-37 space plane to low Earth orbit on a classified mission. Liftoff was at 11:50 PM EDT, shortly after the opening of the launch window.

Following a “norminal” initial ascent and stage separation, Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1092 touched down at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, concluding its sixth flight successfully about 8 miles away from its starting point. This booster previously launched NROL-69, CRS-32, GPS III-7, and two Starlink missions and will soon be transported for refurbishment at SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center.

Payload

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) is a reusable, uncrewed spaceplane developed by Boeing for the United States Space Force. Roughly the size of a small bus, it resembles a miniature space shuttle orbiter and operates in low Earth orbit for extended missions—some lasting over 900 days.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Field Details
Mission Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon CRS-2 SpX-33 — Go for Launch!
Organization SpaceX
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket Falcon 9
Pad Space Launch Complex 40
Status Go for Launch
Status Info Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window Opens Sunday, 08/24/2025 2:45:09 AM
Window Closes Sunday, 08/24/2025 2:45:09 AM
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description 33rd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

Cargo Dragon 2 brings supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support science and research investigations that occur onboard the orbiting laboratory.

As of 2:00 AM Friday August 22, 2025. Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult SpaceX.com for more information.

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The small shower that soaked SpaceX’s Falcon 9 during the last two minutes of the terminal count today at the Cape. They will try again tomorrow.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

A popup shower over the launch pad soaked another SpaceX launch at the last minute today, forcing a scrub of their launch of Falcon 9 carrying the Kuiper KF-02 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 with about 29 seconds remaining before liftoff. The company online announced that it will try again tomorrow. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This scrub was a near repeat of the Jul 31st attempt to launch Crew 11 from LC-39A up at Kennedy: everything was great until it wasn’t. Both launch attempts ended abruptly, as the scrubs came with only seconds remaining on the countdown clock.

Because SpaceX uses densified propellants, once the rocket is fueled, it must launch — or not — on time. If it doesn’t, the launch is scrubbed, and the rocket is defueled for the day.

Summers are like that on the Space Coast. A single cloud can pop up at any time and stop a countdown. Locals shrug and go about their day, but tourists cross their fingers and hope that their luck holds out. Today it didn’t.

Launch Information

The next planned attempt for Kuiper KF-02 is

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Project Kuiper (KF-02) Mission Details
MissionFalcon 9 Block 5 | Project Kuiper (KF-02)
OrganizationSpaceX
LocationCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
PadSpace Launch Complex 40
StatusConfirmed
Status InfoConfirmed by multiple sources
Window OpensSunday, 08/10/2025 8:57 AM EDT
Window ClosesSunday, 08/10/2025 9:24 AM EDT
DestinationLow Earth Orbit
Mission DescriptionSecond of a three-launch contract for Amazon’s Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation, carrying 24 satellites onboard.

Weather

Weather will remain a concern tomorrow, according to the 45th Weather Squadron: 50% GO.

Trajectory

The planned trajectory is Northeast.

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Flight of Starlink 10-29
Photo: Chris Leymarie, Florida Media Now

SpaceX continued adding to its Starlink constellation last night when it sent another group of 28 Mini V2 satellites to orbit late last evening. Dubbed Starlink 10-29, liftoff was at 11:37 PM ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Booster B1069 flew for the 26th time during the mission, and afterwards, it landed offshore aboard ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions,’ one of SpaceX’s two automated landing platforms assigned to the Eastern Range. B1069 and ‘JRTI’ will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded and transported to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center. There it will be refurbished and prepared for its next flight.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Tomorrow afternooon, SpaceX and NASA are planning to launch four astronauts to ISS as part of Crew-11.

SpaceX Crew‑11 Mission Details
MissionSpaceX Crew‑11
OrganizationSpaceX
LocationKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
PadLaunch Complex 39A
StatusGo for Launch
Status InfoCurrent T‑0 confirmed by official or reliable sources.
Window OpensThursday, 07/31/2025 12:09:20 PM EDT
Window ClosesThursday, 07/31/2025 12:09:20 PM EDT
DestinationLow Earth Orbit (ISS)
Mission DescriptionCrew‑11 is the 11th operational crewed flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, carrying four astronauts to the ISS.
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Falcon 9 awaiting launch at SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 awaiting launch at SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral

SpaceX is set to launch Falcon 9 and the SES-operated O3b mPower satellites this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. Liftoff is set for 05:12 PM ET, with a two hour window extending to 07:12 PM ET.

Official weather forecasts have given the mission a 50/50 chance for acceptable weather, with roughly a 25% chance of thunderstorms in the launch area during the launch window. Keep in mind that acceptable conditions consider more than just rain, it also includes thunderstorm activity in the launch area as well as the lightning potential in the immediate vicinity of the rocket. To learn more about launch commit criteria, click here.

Boeing’s 9th and 10th O3b mPOWER satellites—launched in partnership with SES—will bolster the company’s push to deliver global connectivity from space. Leveraging Boeing’s fully software-defined payload technology, these satellites can dynamically allocate power to match user demand.

Today will mark the sixth mission for Falcon 9 first stage booster B1096, and after completing its share of the mission, the booster will touch down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions.’

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 of the US Space Force gives a 50% chance for weather to be acceptable during the launch window:

Trajectory

ESE, as is typical for equatorial orbits:

Online Viewing

SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream

SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: O3B MPower Mission. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

For official updates regarding launch timesSpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.

Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.

Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.

Launch Viewing: In Person

The best free options are available for spectators: Northern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets: Space View Park, Sands Park, Rotary Riverfront Park.

View Spots For SLC-40

The Space Bar will be open through the launch window. New York New York in Titusville will be open to roughly 7 PM, and is a great place to watch as well. Restaurants in Port Canaveral, specifically Gators Dockside, Fishlips and Grills Seafood should have good views after the rocket clears obstructions.

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A Timelapse of Falcon 9’s ascent on the Kuiper KF-01 Mission
Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX launched 27 Kuiper satellites for Amazon aboard a Falcon 9 last night from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 2:30 AM ET.

This morning’s launch was the debut flight for SpaceX’s newest Falcon 9 booster, B1096. It flew flawlessly, and touched down safely aboard ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ about eight and a half minutes after liftoff. B1096 and ASOG will now return to Port Canaveral in a few days, where the booster will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center. There, it will be inspected, refurbished and prepared for its next mission.

While the first stage was touching down at sea, the second stage and payload continued towards orbit, which it achieved roughly at the same time as B1096’s touchdown. At T+0:52:43, the second stage was reignited to place the payloads in the final orbit, and the payload released shortly thereafter.

Project Kuiper

Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of Amazon founded in April 2019, will deploy a constellation of 3,236 Low Earth orbit satellites to deliver low-latency broadband connectivity worldwide. The Federal Communications Commission granted Amazon approval on July 30, 2020, to launch and operate half of its satellites (1,618) by July 30, 2026, with the remainder due by July 30, 2029, and service is slated to begin once the first 578 satellites are in orbit. Under the leadership of president Rajeev Badyal, Kuiper Systems LLC is positioning itself to bridge digital divides and support Amazon Web Services clients across underserved regions.

If that sounds just like Starlink, it is, more or less. The two services are competitors, albeit a competition with Starlink that is many years, thousands of satellites, and millions of customers ahead of Amazon, who is just getting started building out their constellation.

Full‐scale deployment of Project Kuiper commenced in April 2025 with United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rockets launching the initial batches, followed by a second Atlas V mission on June 23.

Amazon has earmarked around $23 billion for Kuiper’s build-out, primarily to cover launch and manufacturing costs, and projects annual revenue of $7.2 billion by 2032 with up to seven million subscribers. The company has secured 92 launches from United Launch Alliance, ArianeGroup, and Blue Origin—along with additional slots on SpaceX rockets—to accelerate its rollout, and plans three consumer service tiers offering speeds up to one gigabit per second.

As Amazon races to match SpaceX’s Starlink, which already boasts over six million users, Project Kuiper represents a strategic bet on owning its digital infrastructure and tapping into a satellite internet market forecast to exceed $1 trillion in the coming decade.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | O3b mPower 9‑10 Mission Details
MissionFalcon 9 Block 5 | O3b mPower 9‑10
OrganizationSpaceX
LocationCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5
PadSpace Launch Complex 40
StatusTo Be Confirmed
Status InfoAwaiting official confirmation – current date is known with some certainty.
Window OpensMonday, 07/21/2025 5:00:00 PM EDT
Window ClosesMonday, 07/21/2025 8:13:00 PM EDT
DestinationMedium Earth Orbit
Mission Description2 high-throughput communications satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) built by Boeing and operated by SES.
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photo spacex

In the overnight hours this morning, SpaceX achieved a landmark in its launch manifest: the company’s 500th Falcon 9 flight. Launching on its 500th mission overall, the Falcon 9 rocket roared off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:28 a.m. EDT (0628 UTC).

The flight also set a new high-water mark for booster reuse, as first stage B1067 chalked up its 29th trip to space and back when it touched down safely aboard ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ That’s more flights than any other Falcon booster on record. To put it into perspective, this morning’s flight of B1067 is one more than Columbia, the Shuttle orbiter that flew 28 missions before tragedy struck it and its crew during re-entry in February  2003. It is also ten less than the all-time reuse leader, STS Orbiter Discovery, which flew 39 missions with the last being STS‑133 in March 2011. SpaceX has stated that their goal for Falcon 9 booster reuse is forty mission, and at this point in time, B1067 is nearly three-quarters of the way there.

Booster B1067 and ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded, returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and preparation for its next mission at some date in the future.

Starlink Notes

Starlink 10-25 was the first Starlink launch of July and deployed 27 Starlink V2 Mini-Optimized satellites into a 279-kilometer orbit inclined 53.2 degrees to the equator. After a textbook ascent on a northeast trajectory, the second stage released its payload approximately 55 minutes after liftoff, marking another routine deployment for SpaceX’s rapidly growing broadband constellation.

Timelapse of Starlink 10-25
Photo: SpaceX

Starlink 10-25 added to the more than 7,900 operational satellites that make up the world’s largest low-Earth-orbit constellation, designed to deliver high-speed internet to underserved and remote regions around the globe. This latest batch of V2 Mini satellites is optimized for quicker deployment and greater data throughput, continuing SpaceX’s strategy of incremental upgrades to the network’s overall performance.

Beating The Weather

Meteorologists from the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron had forecast a 90 percent chance of favorable conditions for the pre-dawn launch, with only scattered cumulus clouds expected to drift through the Cape Canaveral area. Skies remained clear at ignition, ensuring uninterrupted visibility for the mission’s live webcast and ground observers alike.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Setting Value
Mission Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-28 Awaiting Confirmation
Organization SpaceX
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket Falcon 9
Pad Space Launch Complex 40
Status To Be Confirmed
Status Info Awaiting official confirmation – current date is known with some certainty.
Window Opens Tuesday, 07/08/2025 1:48:00 AM
Window Closes Tuesday, 07/08/2025 5:48:00 AM
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

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Between Storms, SpaceX Launches GPS III-7 Aboard Falcon 9

It was a typical summer’s day here on the Space Coast: at first, sunny and warm, humid with an ever-present threat of a thunderstorm lingering off in the distance.

An hour and a half before today’s launch, while the countdown clock was ticking towards T-0, the skies made good on their threat of a thunderstorm, with plenty of lightning strikes and heavy showers near Space Launch Complex 40, where the GPS III-7 satellite, also known as SV-08, waited atop Falcon 9 for liftoff just before the end of the launch window at 1:38 PM Eastern Time.

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gps3-7 liftoff

It was a typical summer’s day here on the Space Coast: at first, sunny and warm, humid with an ever-present threat of a thunderstorm lingering off in the distance.

An hour and a half before today’s launch, while the countdown clock was ticking towards T-0, the skies made good on their threat of a thunderstorm, with plenty of lightning strikes and heavy showers near Space Launch Complex 40, where the GPS III-7 satellite, also known as SV-08, waited atop Falcon 9 for liftoff just before the end of the launch window at 1:38 PM Eastern Time.

Fortunately, there was a short gap between the first passing storm and the next one springing up on the western horizon, and SpaceX took good advantage of it as Booster B1092 fired up for its fourth mission and headed into a suddenly blue sky.

Other than the interesting weather, it was a typically normal mission for SpaceX: ascent was completely normal, with the booster reaching orbit about the same time as the second stage and payload. B1092 landed offshore on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ safely at 8:29 a second after the company announced a nominal orbit insertion of stage 2 and GPS III-7.

After additional burns of stage 2 were completed to place the payload precisely in its delivery location, GPS III-7 was deployed at T+01:29:28, marking another successful mission for SpaceX. It was the company’s 68th mission this year, and the 30th from SLC-40.

Payload

The Lockheed Martin GPS III-7 satellite is part of the next-generation Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation, delivering improved accuracy, resilience, and security to the overall system.

The GPS III series replaces older satellites to modernize the U.S. Space Force’s navigation infrastructure. GPS III-7 enhances positioning precision up to three times better than previous models and extends its lifespan to 15 years, reducing long-term costs and increasing operational reliability.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-19 Mission Details
Mission Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-19
Organization SpaceX
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket Falcon 9 Block 5
Pad Space Launch Complex 40
Status To Be Confirmed
Status Info Awaiting official confirmation – current date is known with some certainty.
Window Opens Monday, 06/02/2025 12:57:00 AM EDT
Window Closes Monday, 06/02/2025 4:57:00 AM EDT
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for a space-based Internet communication system.
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Starlink 6-67 launch. Photo by Ed Cordero

SpaceX launched their 57th mission of 2025 this afternoon from Cape Canaveral when the company sent the Starlink 6-67 mission to low Earth orbit aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 12:38 PM EDT, right at the opening of the launch window.

Liftoff of Starlink 6-67.
Photo: Ed Cordero, Florida Media Now
Liftoff of Starlink 6-67.
Photo: Ed Cordero, Florida Media Now

Following a “norminal” initial ascent and stage separation, Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1090 touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ in the Atlantic Ocean, concluding its fourth flight. This booster previously launched the SES O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10 and Bandwagon-3 missions, and will now return to Port Canaveral for offloading and refurbishment at SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center prior to its next flight.

The second stage and payload also had a “norminal” day, where they reached orbit a little more than eight minutes after liftoff. At 1:47 PM ET, SpaceX announced a successful payload deployment, marking another successful mission for the company (pending second stage disposal).

Starlink 6-67 rising on May 14. 2025
Photo: SpaceX

Payload

Today’s payload was 28 Starlink satellites that will now join the other Starlink satellites from Group 6 in the Starlink constellation.

That array of satellites provides Internet connectivity globally to over five million customers in over 125 countries and territories, spanning all seven continents.

Launch Replay

Next Launch

Another group of Starlink satellites are scheduled to launch NET Monday evening:

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-15 Mission Details
Mission Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-15
Organization SpaceX
Location Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket Falcon 9 Block 5
Pad Space Launch Complex 40
Status To Be Confirmed
Status Info Awaiting official confirmation – current date is known with some certainty.
Window Opens Monday, 05/19/2025 11:40:00 PM EDT
Window Closes Tuesday, 05/20/2025 12:46:00 AM EDT
Destination Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for a space-based Internet communication system.

Please note that the launch window times are provided in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

For the most current information regarding the launch schedule and status, please refer to official updates from SpaceX.

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