SDA To Launch First Satellites, Tranche 0, By End Of MarchQuoteThe Space Development Agency (SDA) plans to launch its first batch of satellites, Tranche 0, before the end of March from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.The launch, aboard a SpaceX rocket, will include Tracking Layer or Transport Layer satellites—possibly both—though the manifest has yet to be finalized, said Frank Turner, technical director for the SDA. He spoke March 14 at the Satellite 2023 conference in Washington.“I do not know what is manifesting,” he says. “Things are going really fast.”[Mar. 15]Edit to add:NextSpaceflight (Updated March 15)Launch NET March 30thhttps://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/5657
The Space Development Agency (SDA) plans to launch its first batch of satellites, Tranche 0, before the end of March from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.The launch, aboard a SpaceX rocket, will include Tracking Layer or Transport Layer satellites—possibly both—though the manifest has yet to be finalized, said Frank Turner, technical director for the SDA. He spoke March 14 at the Satellite 2023 conference in Washington.“I do not know what is manifesting,” he says. “Things are going really fast.”
from a tweet by Jeff Foust:Quote[Speaking for SpaceX] Ochinero: "we're committed to keep flying Falcon 9 through the end of ISS."
[Speaking for SpaceX] Ochinero: "we're committed to keep flying Falcon 9 through the end of ISS."
William Harwood @cbs_spacenewsElectron/Capella: LIFTOFF! At 6:38:59pm EST (2238 UTC)
Mission Name The Beat Goes OnRocket ElectronElectron Name The Beat Goes OnLaunch Window Launch window opens March 2023Launch Time TBCLaunch Site Launch Complex 1 - Pad B
Company executives briefed staff on the situation in an all-hands meeting at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to people who were in the meeting. The furlough is unpaid, though employees can cash in PTO, with only a small team continuing to work. Virgin Orbit is also moving up payroll by a week to Friday.In the all-hands, company leaders told employees that they aimed to provide an update on the furlough and funding situation by next Wednesday or Thursday, according to the people, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss internal matters.A Virgin Orbit spokesperson, in a statement to CNBC, confirmed that the company is starting an “operational pause.” Virgin Orbit plans to give “an update on go-forward operations in the coming weeks,” the spokesperson added.
Approximate obvserved T0 time: 075:22:39:04.000ZULU
SpaceX is targeting Friday, March 17 at 12:26 p.m. PT (19:26 UTC) for a Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If needed, there is an additional launch opportunity the same day at 4:24 p.m. PT (23:24 UTC). Backup opportunities are also available on Saturday, March 18 at 12:12 p.m. PT (19:12 UTC) and 4:10 p.m. PT (23:10 UTC).The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, and three Starlink missions. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX is targeting Friday, March 17 for launch of the SES-18 and SES-19 mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The 38-minute launch window opens at 7:38 p.m. ET (23:38 UTC). A backup launch opportunity is available on Saturday, March 18 with a 37-minute window opening at the same time.The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, and two Starlink missions. After stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Elon Musk @elonmuskSpaceX will be ready to launch Starship in a few weeks, then launch timing depends on FAA license approval. Assuming that takes a few weeks, first launch attempt will be near end of third week of April, aka …
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Thursday said that Starship‘s first launch attempt will be at the end of the third week of April.What Happened: SpaceX will be ready to launch in a few weeks, Elon Musk said in a Twitter reply. Once SpaceX is ready, Starship will need FAA license approval to undertake its first launch attempt.“Assuming that takes a few weeks, [the] first launch attempt will be near [the] end of [the] third week of April, aka …,” Musk responded to a tweet.Some Twitter users interpreted Musk’s unfinished sentence as April 20, which when written as a date would be “4/20,” possibly referring to the unofficial holiday celebrated by marijuana users.
The next Falcon Heavy will launch the ViaSat 3 communication satellite from pad 39A on April 8 at 6:25 p.m. EDT (note that there will not be any landings to see with this mission).
Starlink Group 5-5Launch TimeFri Mar 24, 2023 13:07 GMTLaunch consists of Starlink v1.5 satellites deployed into Starlink's second generation constellation (Starlink Gen 2)...B1067Flight #10A Shortfall of Gravitas
Transporter 7Launch TimeNET April, 2023...B1063Landing Zone 4
William Harwood @cbs_spacenewsF9/Starlink 2-8: Liftoff! At 3:26:40pm EST (1926 UTC)
Rocket Lab @RocketLabIt’s a one-two punch of Electron missions this month! Our next launch for @BlackSky_Inc & @SpaceflightInc is NET March 22. We’re back at LC-1 & will attempt an ocean recovery. The Beat Goes On:Mar 22, UTC | 8:45AMMar 22, NZDT | 9:45PMMar 22, EDT | 4:45AMMar 22, PDT | 1:45AM
William Harwood @cbs_spacenewsF9/SES-18/19: LIFTOFF! At 7:38pm EDT (2338 UTC)
March 22/23 • Terran 1 • “Good Luck, Have Fun”Launch window: 0200-0500 GMT on 23rd (10:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. EDT on 22nd/23rd)Launch site: LC-16, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida...April • Falcon 9 • Starlink 2-9Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California...July • Falcon 9 • EuclidLaunch time: TBDLaunch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
Relativity Space @relativityspaceJoin us late night on March 22nd for our #GLHF launch, part 3. Our launch window is from 22:00 – 01:00ET. Nighttime skies mean very cool methane rocket engine plumes.
The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink satellites from pad 40 on March 24 at 11:33 a.m. EDT. A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on March 30. A Falcon 9 will launch the Intelsat 40e satellite from pad 40 on April 7, likely late at night EDT. The next Falcon Heavy will launch the ViaSat-3 communication satellite from pad 39A on April 8 at 6:25 p.m. EDT (note that there will not be any landings to see with this mission). And a Falcon 9 will launch the second pair of O3b mPOWER satellites for SES from pad 40 on April TBD.
