Updated at 10:45 a.m. EDT Saturday: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 13 demonstration satellites lifted off for the US military’s Space Development Agency (SDA) at 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT / 1425 UTC) 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT). / 1425 UTC). The first stage Falcon 9 returned to land at Vandenberg. At the request of the Space Development Agency, SpaceX is not providing coverage of the second stage of the flight. This is standard procedure for most national security missions.
Updated at 9:20 a.m. EDT Saturday: Liftoff from the foggy Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is scheduled for 7:25 a.m. PDT (10:25 a.m. EDT / 1425 UTC).
Updated at 10:20 a.m. EDT Friday: SpaceX has aborted the Falcon 9 launch with less than 20 minutes left on the countdown. It’s the second day since the launch has been scrubbed.
Updated at 9:30 a.m. EDT Friday: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will once again attempt to launch 13 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites for the US military’s Space Development Agency (SDA). Estimated liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Updated 10:35 a.m. EDT: SpaceX cancels Aug. 31 attempting to launch the Tranche 0B mission due to engine trouble. Crews are troubleshooting and launch is now scheduled for no earlier than 7:26 a.m. PDT (10:26 a.m. EDT / 1426 UTC) on Friday. This booster, B1063, has flown 12 previous missions, starting with the launch of Sentinel-6. in 2020 November 21 in 2023 July 7 it recently launched a batch of 48 Starlink satellites on the Starlink Group 5-13 mission.
Update: SpaceX has adjusted the launch time for this mission. The new T-0 liftoff is now set for 8:25 PDT (11:25 EDT, 1525 UTC). This is the end of the launch window for Thursday, August 31st. If necessary, September 1. 7:26 a.m. PDT (10:26 a.m. EDT / 1426 UTC) is a possibility.
Original Story:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 13 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites for the US military’s Space Development Agency (SDA). Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is scheduled for 7:26 a.m. PDT (10:26 a.m. EDT / 1426 UTC).
The launch is the second Falcon 9 mission for SDA’s demonstration spacecraft for a constellation of future military missile tracking and data communications satellites. The constellation’s ten satellites were launched on April 2. Falcon 9. Four more satellites are planned to be launched in a later mission by the Missile Defense Agency, according to an SDA fact sheet.
The Falcon 9 has 11 communications satellites that are part of what the SDA calls the “Transport Layer” and two satellites for the so-called “Tracking Layer.”
The Falcon 9 first stage booster, on its 13th flight, will return to Vandenberg’s Landing Area 4 about seven and a half minutes after launch.
