SpaceX plans to launch 21 satellites for a sophisticated new U.S. army constellation this night (Oct. 15), and you’ll watch the motion dwell.
A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to elevate off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at this time at 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT; 4:03 p.m. native California time), on a mission for the Space Development Agency (SDA).
You can watch it live via SpaceX’s website or X account. Coverage will start about 10 minutes earlier than launch.
The launch will assist construct out the SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL), a community of 126 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that “will provide global communications access and deliver persistent regional encrypted connectivity in support of warfighter missions around the globe,” company officers wrote in a explainer.
Today’s mission might be SpaceX’s second T1TL launch. The first, which occurred on Sept. 10, additionally despatched 21 satellites up from Vandenberg aboard a Falcon 9.
Colorado-based firm York Space Systems constructed these spacecraft. The satellites launching at this time, nevertheless, had been manufactured by aerospace large Lockheed Martin.
Northrop Grumman additionally scored an SDA contract for T1TL satellites. Each of those three firms will present 42 spacecraft for the nascent constellation.
T1TL might be half of a bigger LEO constellation, tons of of satellites robust, that the SDA calls the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA).
The PWSA satellites might be unfold throughout seven “layers” — battle administration, custody, deterrence, navigation, (missile) monitoring, transport and assist. This broad community might be refreshed every two years, preserving the SDA’s area belongings agile and updated.
Previous Booster 1093 launches
If all goes to plan at this time, the Falcon 9’s first stage will come again to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, touchdown within the Pacific Ocean on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.”
It would be the seventh launch and touchdown for this specific booster, which is designated B1093. It additionally launched SpaceX’s first T1TL mission on Sept. 10, in addition to 5 flights carrying the corporate’s Starlink broadband satellites.
The Falcon 9’s higher stage, in the meantime, will proceed hauling the 21 satellites to LEO. It’s unclear when and precisely the place they are going to be deployed at this time; SpaceX’s mission description would not present that data, seemingly on the request of the SDA.