UPDATED FEBRUARY 7, 2025...FALCON 9The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on February 11 at 12:00-4:00 p.m. EST. A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on February 14 at 12:26-4:26 p.m. EST. A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on February 17 at 6:00-10:00 p.m. EST. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches. A Falcon 9 will launch the IM-2 lunar lander and Lunar Trailblazer orbiter for NASA, Intuitive Machines and Lockheed Martin from pad 39A on February 26 at 7:17 p.m. EST. The first stage will land back at the Cape about eight minutes after launch. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches. A Falcon 9 will launch NASA's Crew-10 to the International Space Station from pad 39A on mid-March, in the evening EDT. The first stage will land back at the Cape about eight minutes after launch.
SpaceX is targeting Monday, February 10 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 3:46 p.m. PT. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Tuesday, February 11 starting at 3:19 p.m. PT.
Starlink G11-10 Pre-LaunchDerived from a pre-launch Starlink-G11-10 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite.Launch: 2025-02-10 23:46:00 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 00:47:57.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-10 23:46:00 UTC to 2025-02-10 23:46:59 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #1 Launch: 2025-02-11 00:14:30 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 01:16:27.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 00:14:30 UTC to 2025-02-11 00:14:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #2 Launch: 2025-02-11 00:15:10 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 01:17:07.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 00:15:10 UTC to 2025-02-11 00:15:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #3 Launch: 2025-02-11 00:32:10 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 01:34:07.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 00:32:10 UTC to 2025-02-11 00:36:19 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #4 Launch: 2025-02-11 01:04:10 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 02:06:07.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 01:04:10 UTC to 2025-02-11 01:05:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #5 Launch: 2025-02-11 01:09:20 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 02:11:17.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 01:09:20 UTC to 2025-02-11 01:12:59 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #6 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:06:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:08:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:06:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:09:39 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #7 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:09:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:11:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:09:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:15:29 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #8 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:38:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:40:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:38:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:40:09 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #9 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:43:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:45:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:43:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:46:59 UTC.
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 01/31/2025 10:43 pmHow many satellites will be carried on the dispenser?SFN ULA begins de-stacking Vulcan rocket, pivots to Atlas 5 launch of Amazon’s Kuiper satellites for first 2025 mission Feb 7, Will Robinson-SmithQuoteDuring an interview with a few reporters in January 2024, Bruno said an Atlas 5 rocket is capable of launching 27 Kuiper satellites compared to 45 on Vulcan.Amazon hasn’t specified how many satellites it plans to launch on the Kuiper-1 mission. In late January [Jan 24], the company announced on social media that “another batch” of its production satellites was “on its way to Cape Canaveral.”27
How many satellites will be carried on the dispenser?
During an interview with a few reporters in January 2024, Bruno said an Atlas 5 rocket is capable of launching 27 Kuiper satellites compared to 45 on Vulcan.Amazon hasn’t specified how many satellites it plans to launch on the Kuiper-1 mission. In late January [Jan 24], the company announced on social media that “another batch” of its production satellites was “on its way to Cape Canaveral.”
“There’s a whole set of engineering reviews we do across production, manufacturing, quality, sustainment, all aspects of what they do. And some of it is going through all of those data sets that they provided to us,” Horne said. “We’re still pouring through the Centaur qualification data. We’re still working through the SRB anomaly that we had on Cert-2. So some of it is driven by the launches themselves.”“From our perspective, what we know today, we’ve given them all the information they need for certification,” Wentz said on Friday. “Being a former government employee, there’s a lot of details that they need to go through and get comfortable with before they release a certification. And so, they’re going through that process and we’re standing by.“If there’s any additional information they request, we’ll be prepared to get it to them, but everything we’re hearing is that certification will be around the end of the month/first of March timeframe. And then once we get that, we’ll be cleared to move forward with the 106 config.”...That lines up with what a spokesperson with AATS told Spaceflight Now in December: “The government anticipates completion of its evaluation and certification in the first quarter of calendar year 2025” and that it “anticipates the first NSSL mission in the second quarter 2025.”...The goal of Amazon’s first constellation is to have a total of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit. In addition to the remaining 46 launches it booked with ULA, Amazon also purchased 18 launches on Arianespace’s Ariane 6 rocket; 12 launches on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, with options to add another 15 on top of that; and three launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket....Wentz said on Friday that ULA has “quite a few Kuiper Atlases planned” to launch in 2025 in addition to some number of Kuiper launches using Vulcan rockets. He said the rocket requested by Amazon will depend on their need at the time.“We’re driving the factory (in Decatur, Alabama), for instance, to have all the Atlases built out, including the remaining crewed by April,” Wentz said. “We’re starting to already phase out a lot of the production line activities for Atlas.”He said the first Vulcan rocket that will launch Kuiper satellites is currently in production as well.“We’re prepared to have both vehicles ready and then it’ll come down to Kuiper managing how many spacecraft they want to put up and on what vehicle,” Wentz said. “So, they have a lot of flexibility.”In order to help increase the flow of launches, ULA has been making a number of modification on what it calls the Amazon Vertical Integration Facility (VIF-A), which was previously referred to as the Spaceflight Processing Operations Center (SPOC). The roof is being extended by 45 feet (13.7 m) and assembly work continues on the Amazon Vulcan Launch Platform (VLP-A).Wentz said ULA is targeting early summer to have VIF-A capabilities come online.
Lukas C. H. @GewoonLukas_ULA says that they are officially bringing the Kuiper-1 (also known as KA-01) mission forward in their manifest. This will be the first operational launch for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation, and it is expected to launch in the next 2 months aboard an Atlas V 551.
SpaceX is targeting Monday, February 10 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 6:09 p.m. PT. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Tuesday, February 11 starting at 3:19 p.m. PT.
Starlink G11-10 Pre-LaunchDerived from a pre-launch Starlink-G11-10 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite.Launch: 2025-02-10 23:46:00 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 00:47:57.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-10 23:46:00 UTC to 2025-02-10 23:46:59 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #1 Launch: 2025-02-11 00:12:20 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 01:14:17.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 00:12:20 UTC to 2025-02-11 00:15:29 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #2 Launch: 2025-02-11 00:32:10 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 01:34:07.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 00:32:10 UTC to 2025-02-11 00:36:09 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #3 Launch: 2025-02-11 01:04:00 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 02:05:57.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 01:04:00 UTC to 2025-02-11 01:05:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #4 Launch: 2025-02-11 01:09:20 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 02:11:17.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 01:09:20 UTC to 2025-02-11 01:12:59 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #5 Launch: 2025-02-11 01:20:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 02:22:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 01:20:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 01:20:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #6 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:06:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:08:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:06:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:09:39 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #7 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:09:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:11:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:09:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:15:09 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #8 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:38:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:40:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:38:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:40:09 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #9 Launch: 2025-02-11 02:43:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:45:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 02:43:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 02:46:59 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #10 Launch: 2025-02-11 03:05:40 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 04:07:37.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 03:05:40 UTC to 2025-02-11 03:06:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #11 Launch: 2025-02-11 03:19:10 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 04:21:07.140 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 03:19:10 UTC to 2025-02-11 03:20:09 UTC.
On Monday, February 10 at 6:09 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.This was the 23rd flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-153, NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, and now 14 Starlink missions.
Starlink G11-10 Pre-LaunchDerived from a pre-launch Starlink-G11-10 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite. Launch: 2025-02-11 02:09:00 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 03:10:57.140 UTC.
SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, February 11 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 1:53 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 3:43 p.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available Wednesday, February 12 starting at 11:36 a.m. ET.A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.This is the 18th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, Optus-X, Immarsat I6-F2, GPS III-6, NG-20, and 10 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Starlink G12-18 Pre-LaunchDerived from a pre-launch Starlink-G12-18 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite.Launch: 2025-02-11 18:53:10 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 19:58:31.880 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 18:53:10 UTC to 2025-02-11 18:54:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #1 Launch: 2025-02-11 18:54:50 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 20:00:11.880 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 18:54:50 UTC to 2025-02-11 18:56:49 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #2 Launch: 2025-02-11 19:02:00 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 20:07:21.880 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 19:02:00 UTC to 2025-02-11 19:03:09 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #3 Launch: 2025-02-11 19:49:50 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 20:55:11.880 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 19:49:50 UTC to 2025-02-11 19:51:09 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #4 Launch: 2025-02-11 20:42:30 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 21:47:51.880 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 20:42:30 UTC to 2025-02-11 20:43:29 UTC. Backup Launch Opportunity #5 Launch: 2025-02-11 20:43:30 UTC. Deploy: 2025-02-11 21:48:51.880 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-11 20:43:30 UTC to 2025-02-11 20:43:59 UTC.
Mission Name: Fasten Your Space BeltsRocket: ElectronLaunch Date: NET February 18, 2025Launch Site: Launch Complex 1Launch Time: NET 23:15 UTCPayload: 1x Gen-3 satelliteMission Overview‘Fasten Your Space Belts’ will be Rocket Lab’s ninth launch overall for BlackSky across multiple launch contracts beginning from 2019. The mission will introduce their newest 35cm high-resolution Gen-3 satellites to orbit, allowing them to greatly enhance and optimize their geospatial intelligence capabilities.Like earlier Black Sky launches on Electron, this mission will be supported by a Rocket Lab manufactured Motorized Lightband; separation systems for the satellite to attach to and deploy from Electron once in space.'Fasten Your Space Belts' will be the ninth launch for BlackSky since 2019, making Rocket Lab the most prolific launch provider for BlackSky’s constellation to date.
[LM400 demo] will be FLTA006: https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta006/QuoteAlpha FLTA006 is the second mission Firefly is launching for Lockheed Martin and the first of Firefly’s new multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin that includes up to 25 missions over the next five years. This mission will launch Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 tech demo to prove out the risk-reduction and pathfinding efforts the company has done for its mid-sized, multi-mission satellite bus. As a dedicated commercial launch to low Earth orbit, FLTA006 will further prove Alpha’s robust performance to take customers directly to their preferred orbits. With each fight, the Firefly team continues to improve its rapid launch operations and further validate Alpha’s robust performance as the only operational 1 metric ton rocket.
Alpha FLTA006 is the second mission Firefly is launching for Lockheed Martin and the first of Firefly’s new multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin that includes up to 25 missions over the next five years. This mission will launch Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 tech demo to prove out the risk-reduction and pathfinding efforts the company has done for its mid-sized, multi-mission satellite bus. As a dedicated commercial launch to low Earth orbit, FLTA006 will further prove Alpha’s robust performance to take customers directly to their preferred orbits. With each fight, the Firefly team continues to improve its rapid launch operations and further validate Alpha’s robust performance as the only operational 1 metric ton rocket.
Quote from: PM3 on 01/26/2025 12:23 pmQuote from: the_big_boot on 01/25/2025 10:30 pmAccording to firefly’s current CEO then next alpha launch will be LM400 (not Tacsat) net Q1 2025https://open.spotify.com/episode/3GKK9ksun6Jib6zQOiZOkT?si=aamnty-vTaG_7eScJtkW9A&t=797&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A2sil2NBzcsgkPKQjgKIqjMIsn't that the same? LM400 is a new satellite bus by Lockheed Martin, and TacSat a Lockheed Martin tech demo mission.No, Tacsat doesn’t use the LM400 busQuoteTacSat, a compact spacecraft about the size of a mini-fridge, is built on a Terran Orbital Zuma bus
Quote from: the_big_boot on 01/25/2025 10:30 pmAccording to firefly’s current CEO then next alpha launch will be LM400 (not Tacsat) net Q1 2025https://open.spotify.com/episode/3GKK9ksun6Jib6zQOiZOkT?si=aamnty-vTaG_7eScJtkW9A&t=797&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A2sil2NBzcsgkPKQjgKIqjMIsn't that the same? LM400 is a new satellite bus by Lockheed Martin, and TacSat a Lockheed Martin tech demo mission.
According to firefly’s current CEO then next alpha launch will be LM400 (not Tacsat) net Q1 2025https://open.spotify.com/episode/3GKK9ksun6Jib6zQOiZOkT?si=aamnty-vTaG_7eScJtkW9A&t=797&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A2sil2NBzcsgkPKQjgKIqjM
TacSat, a compact spacecraft about the size of a mini-fridge, is built on a Terran Orbital Zuma bus
0162-EX-ST-2025 [Jan 27]QuoteThis STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for Fireflys Alpha launch mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base SLC-2. This includes a suborbital first stage and an orbital second stage. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only.Operation Start Date: 04/02/2025Operation End Date: 10/02/2025
This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for Fireflys Alpha launch mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base SLC-2. This includes a suborbital first stage and an orbital second stage. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only.Operation Start Date: 04/02/2025Operation End Date: 10/02/2025
1226-EX-CN-2024QuoteThe overall goal of the AEPEX mission, ...The satellite will be launched as a secondary payload aboard Firefly Elytra-1, from Vandenberg AFB no earlier than May 1, 2025
The overall goal of the AEPEX mission, ...The satellite will be launched as a secondary payload aboard Firefly Elytra-1, from Vandenberg AFB no earlier than May 1, 2025
On Tuesday, February 11 at 1:53 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.This was the 18th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously Crew-5, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, TD-7, Immarsat I6-F2, GPS III-6, NG-20, and now 11 Starlink missions.
Starlink G12-18 Pre-LaunchDerived from a pre-launch Starlink-G12-18 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite. Launch: 2025-02-11 18:53:20 UTC.Deploy: 2025-02-11 19:58:41.880 UTC.
Starlink G12-8 Pre-LaunchDerived from a pre-launch Starlink-G12-8 state vector, provided by SpaceX. SupGP data is provided for the entire stack, as well as one for a single satellite.Launch: 2025-02-15 05:00:00 UTC.Deploy: 2025-02-15 06:05:26.780 UTC.Launch window: 2025-02-15 05:00:00 UTC to 2025-02-15 08:28:00 UTC.
UPDATED FEBRUARY 11, 2025...FALCON 9The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on February 15 at 12:00-4:00 a.m. EST. A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on February 18 at 6:00-10:00 p.m. EST. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches. A Falcon 9 will launch the IM-2 lunar lander and Lunar Trailblazer orbiter for NASA, Intuitive Machines and Lockheed Martin from pad 39A on February 26 at 7:17 p.m. EST. The first stage will land back at the Cape about eight minutes after launch. Upcoming launches include more Starlink batches. A Falcon 9 will launch NASA's Crew-10 to the International Space Station from pad 39A on March 12 at 7:48 p.m. EDT. Sunset is 7:29 p.m. The first stage will land back at the Cape about eight minutes after launch.
Flight 9 and BeyondAfter Ship 34, we have Ship 35, which is only one section shy of being fully stacked. Assuming it gets fully stacked within the next two weeks, Ship 35 may not be ready until April or May. Regarding objectives, Ship 35 could be the first Ship to orbit with a potential catch attempt on Pad B at Starbase, not Pad A.Here is where problems arise regarding vehicle combinations. Booster 16 is currently fully stacked but was only finished a month ago. Based on the quickest Booster readiness timeline, which is Booster 14 at eight months, that would mean Booster 16 may not be ready for flight at the end of August.
The handover of the flight model of the "Gifu High School Sat (GHS)1" to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has been completed, and GHS team students reported the handover to President YOSHIDA Kazuhiro on Monday, December 23, 2024.The creation of the flight model is being carried out as part of the activities of 'Gifu Space Project Study Meeting,2' a joint initiative by Gifu University and the Gifu Prefectural Government. Technical high school students in the prefecture, along with Gifu University undergraduate and graduate students, have been collaborating on the development of the flight model. Their flight model has passed JAXA's safety review and will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket through NASA in April 2025. After being transported to the International Space Station, it is scheduled to be deployed into orbit about a month later to conduct exercises such as photographing the Earth and estimating orbits through radio reception with high school students from Lithuania and Australia.
STARS-Me2...■□■History■□■◆2024/12/20: Loaded onto J-SSOD at Tsukuba Space Center.◆2024/12/04: Delivered to JAXA at Tsukuba Space Center.
SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, February 18 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 6:00 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 10:00 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Wednesday, February 19, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET.
GRACE-C – German-US-American environmental mission has been extendedQuoteTwenty-two years later, the German Space Agency at DLR and NASA have extended this highly successful mission for the second time with GRACE-C, which succeeds GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO).The 'C' stands for 'Continuity', which recognises the consistency of the measurement series of these environmental missions. <snip>The launch of the new GRACE-C satellite pair is scheduled for 2028, on board a Falcon 9 rocket from the US company SpaceX.US, Germany Partnering on Mission to Track Earth's Water MovementQuoteThe mission will be composed of a pair of identical satellites flying one behind the other, roughly 60 to 190 miles (100 to 300 kilometers) apart, in a polar orbit. The spacecraft will fly at an altitude of roughly 300 miles (500 kilometers).
Twenty-two years later, the German Space Agency at DLR and NASA have extended this highly successful mission for the second time with GRACE-C, which succeeds GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO).The 'C' stands for 'Continuity', which recognises the consistency of the measurement series of these environmental missions. <snip>The launch of the new GRACE-C satellite pair is scheduled for 2028, on board a Falcon 9 rocket from the US company SpaceX.
The mission will be composed of a pair of identical satellites flying one behind the other, roughly 60 to 190 miles (100 to 300 kilometers) apart, in a polar orbit. The spacecraft will fly at an altitude of roughly 300 miles (500 kilometers).
