SpaceX F9 : USSF-124/HBTSS : CCSFS SLC-40 : 14 February 2024 (22:30 UTC)

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1757943491999797436

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1757943842874290255

[jcm]

Lots of observations of the St2  deorbit burn over eastern US around 0020-0030 UTC

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/LaunchPhoto/status/1757949105236562119

Falcon 9 lands on LZ-2 at sunset

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Launch success press release from the USSF Space Systems Command

[Chinakpradhan]

NextSpaceflight (Updated February 11th)
First stage B1078-7
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6961

LZ-1  or LZ-2? Like that sole LZ-2 F9 landing in clash during oneweb launch

Yeah, likely the first one goes to LZ-1, and second one goes to LZ-2.

Also booster passed by the VAB earlier, its got a greyband on the second stage. Gonna be a long mission I guess.

forgot to ask Was USSF-124 using medium or long coast mission-extension kit any word from SpaceX?

[Chinakpradhan]

NextSpaceflight (Updated February 11th)
First stage B1078-7
https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6961

LZ-1  or LZ-2? Like that sole LZ-2 F9 landing in clash during oneweb launch

Yeah, likely the first one goes to LZ-1, and second one goes to LZ-2.

Also booster passed by the VAB earlier, its got a greyband on the second stage. Gonna be a long mission I guess.

forgot to ask Was USSF-124 using medium or long coast mission-extension kit any word from SpaceX?

is it medium coast kit since long coast kit is for 6-12 hour duration and S2 Deorbited within 3 hours. Or did they flew a long coast kit on a medium coast mission. I remember  CRS-18 for testing and another on a starlink mission named group 5-7 (SpaceX didn't announce medium coast kit until next FH mission after that) uselessly. So I am fearing of using speculation

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Launch success press release from the USSF Space Systems Command

https://twitter.com/USSF_SSC/status/1757978629626347587

Success! Liftoff of the @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with new generation of missile detection, missile tracking and communications satellites on board. Congratulations to the entire team of #PartnersInSpace!

More: https://ssc.spaceforce.mil/Portals/3/Documents/PRESS%20RELEASES/Space%20Systems%20Command%20successfully%20launches%20six%20satellites%20for%20Missile%20Defense%20Agency%20and%20Space%20Development%20Agency%20on%20SpaceX%20Falcon%209%20rocket.pdf?ver=oZ9CYkN4wPi1rnLXDTy1Kg%3d%3d
#USSF #SpaceStartsHere #SpaceSystemsCommand

[GewoonLukas_]

The six missile tracking sats launched by Falcon 9 earlier tonight have  been cataloged in 1000 km circular orbits at an inclination of 40.0 deg.

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1757989715062464716

[FutureSpaceTourist]

/twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1757943491999797436

twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1757943842874290255

Photos attached

[Targeteer]

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3677785/mda-sda-confirm-successful-launch-of-the-hypersonic-and-ballistic-tracking-spac/
MDA, SDA Confirm Successful Launch of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor and Tranche 0 Satellites
Feb. 15, 2024

On Wednesday, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) confirmed the successful launch of six satellites to low-Earth orbit at 5:30 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

The satellites, which include two satellites for MDA's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) and the final four SDA Tranche 0 (T0) Tracking Layer satellites of its Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), were safely delivered to orbit and are conducting initial testing and checkout.

The launch of the two prototype systems will be followed by two years of on-orbit testing. Over the next few weeks, MDA and SDA engineers will run a series of tests and checkout procedures to ensure the satellites are operating and communicating with other systems as expected.

For more information, refer to the original press release found at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3676902/mda-sda-announce-upcoming-launch-of-the-hypersonic-and-ballistic-tracking-space/

[catdlr]

[shiro]

Some reusability stats for this launch (USSF-124/HBTSS):

Booster B1078.7 turnaround time:
73 days 18 hours 30 minutes
(its previous mission was Starlink Group 6-31 on Dec 3, 2023 UTC).

FYI: median turnaround time for Falcon 9 / Heavy boosters is currently 50.16 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches, excluding new first stages.

Launchpad SLC-40 turnaround time:
6 days 15 hours 57 minutes
(the previous launch from this pad was PACE on Feb 8, 2024 UTC).

FYI: median turnaround time for SLC-40 is currently 5.56 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches.

The same type of stats for previous SpaceX launches may be found on this spreadsheet online.

[Targeteer]

The six missile tracking sats launched by Falcon 9 earlier tonight have  been cataloged in 1000 km circular orbits at an inclination of 40.0 deg.

https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1757989715062464716

Almost circular

58955    OBJECT A   2024-028A   UNKNOWN      105.09   39.99   1006   992      
58956    OBJECT B   2024-028B   UNKNOWN           105.08   40.00   1003   993      
58957    OBJECT C   2024-028C   UNKNOWN           105.08   40.01   1002   994      
58958    OBJECT D   2024-028D   UNKNOWN           105.04   39.98   1004   989      
58959    OBJECT E   2024-028E   UNKNOWN           105.08   39.99   1005   992      
58960    OBJECT F   2024-028F   UNKNOWN           105.07   39.99   1004   991

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/ENNEPS/status/1758333202496630908

34 payloads, 23 Hours, 3 Launches, 1 Rocket!SpaceX celebrated 300 launches of the Falcon 9 Rocket, with a triple header from all three of their pads in less than a day.
Catch all the action 24/7 from the Space Coast on @NASASpaceflight 's Space Coast Live http://nsf.live/spacecoast

[Targeteer]

Lots of observations of the St2  deorbit burn over eastern US around 0020-0030 UTC

https://twitter.com/nolanwpeterson/status/1757926175727403474/photo/1

[realnouns]

Doug returned to PC on Feb 15 @ 11:51pm ET

[catdlr]

This post includes a video

https://twitter.com/LaunchPhoto/status/1758503433538031841

USSF-124 launch up close

[catdlr]

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/SpaceOffshore/status/1758541263312187519

Four fairing halves were delivered back to Florida today as SpaceX recovery ships Bob and Doug returned from the IM-1 and USSF-124 missions! 📸http://nsf.live/spacecoast

[JohnsterSpaceProgram]

Hello everyone! A few days ago on February 14th, at approximately 7:22 PM EST, I took some images with my phone of an object moving fast overhead that passed near The Moon and Jupiter. Based on the time it happened, my current theory is that it was the exhaust from a SpaceX F9 second stage rocket firing.

Likely from the USSF-124 mission that had launched a few hours earlier. Also because a few minutes later, the small point had expanded into a larger, cloud-like formation before fading away. If you've also seen it and can confirm this was indeed what I observed, or if it was actually another space object, please reply to this post. I've also included some images taken by some other people who observed the same object.

And if anyone else took images of the object as well, it would be great if you could post them here so everyone else can take a look at them.