After a rare auto-abort in the final seconds of the countdown Thursday, #Falcon9 B1075 successfully lifted off on its second flight this morning, carrying a payload of tracking and data relay satellites for @SemperCitiusSDA.
Today's #SpaceX launch was the 6th from Vandenberg this year, and the 9th time overall that a Falcon 9 has landed at LZ-4.I tried using more telephoto today, for these views of the boostback, entry, and landing burns. (Note the camera was level for the freefall shot!)
Punching through the fog.(📸: me for @WeAreSpaceScout)
Welcome home, B1075.2!(📸: me for @WeAreSpaceScout)
On my way home from SDA’s Tranche 0A flight, and I have to say that was a hell of a launch, beautiful from start to finish. Proud to be able to have been there. Thanks, @SLDelta30, @SemperCitiusSDA, and @SpaceX! See y’all soon for Tranche 0B.
CelesTrak has GP data for 1 object from the launch (2023-050) of 10 US missile tracking and data relay satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB on Apr 2 at 1429 UTC: spaceflightnow.com/2023/03/30/fal…. Data for the launch can be found at: https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/table.php?INTDES=2023-050
I’ve been on the Amtrak train that goes by SLC-4E. Even saw a F9 on the pad (DART) from the train. The launch was a few days later, which we watched from the nearest road, Ocean Avenue.Would have loved to be on the train today. Not just a launch, but a RTLS. Imagine being a non space nerd seeing the whole thing, especially a 12 story rocket coming your general direction, on fire, with sonic booms. I wonder what the train conductors announcement sounded like.I didn’t see it on the webcast, but I wonder how long they waited to let the train go.
Update: second TLE set issued for the first SDA-0A satellite. This one has inc = 80.9949 deg so doesn't look as suspicious.
Today the Space Development Agency successfully launched the first installment of Tranche 0 satellites as part of our Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Tranche 0 will provide communication services & more to support the #warfighter. Congrats, @SemperCitiusSDA! #PWSA
Thank you for entrusting @SpaceX with this mission
West Coast fairing recovery ship NRC Quest should arrive back at Port of Long Beach around 10pm PT tonight, hopefully carrying the fairing halves from Tranche 0 mission.
Looks like one of the SDA-0A Tracking Layer sats (56171) has started orbit raising
I'm pretty sure this is the first image I've seen of SpaceX's 2 hypersonic missile tracking satellite and Lockheed Martin's and York's 11 SDA Tranche 0 satellites.
QuoteI'm pretty sure this is the first image I've seen of SpaceX's 2 hypersonic missile tracking satellite and Lockheed Martin's and York's 11 SDA Tranche 0 satellites.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/york-space-systems-acquires-emergent-space-technologies-301844948.html
York Space Systems has published a photo of the payload stack, showing both kinds of York's Transport Layer satellites as well as SpaceX' Tracking Layer satellites.
Several updates to offer about Tranche 0 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (#PWSA) Transport and Tracking Layer satellites launched on April 2 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. (1 of 9)#SemperCitius #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: Good news from #PWSA Tranche 0 Tracking Layer! First Tracking sats, built by @SpaceX, achieved first light: infrared images using wide-field-of-view sensors. They are in their final orbit and ahead of schedule. (2 of 9)#SemperCitius #space #defense #satellites
Tranche 0 Update: The Tracking Layer sats will be joined by 2 more @SpaceX sats on orbit this summer, and more from @L3HarrisTech later this year. (3 of 9)#SemperCitius #PWSA #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: First 8 Tranche 0 Transport Layer sats, from @YorkSpaceSystem, performing as expected. Continue test & checkout now, incl. #software updates. Found assembly issue with 1 sat; no impact to #PWSA performance. (4 of 9)#SemperCitius #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: Transport sats remain in initial orbit, per plan, to prep for #Link16 testing. Will raise orbit once initial tactical comms testing is done. Already passed standard tactical data up to Transport sats using #RF. (5 of 9)#SemperCitius #PWSA #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: Tranche 0 Transport sats are on schedule and all 8 remain on orbit. They will be joined by additional Tranche 0 Transport Layer sats from @YorkSpaceSystem and @LMSpace with a launch later this summer. (6 of 9)#SemperCitius #PWSA #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: Tranche 0 Tracking Layer, along with our colleagues at Missile Defense Agency, will demo important missile warning/missile tracking sensors and tech for the future of #missiledefense. (7 of 9)#SemperCitius #PWSA #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: Transport Layer will demo #data movement & #tactical comms critical to #warfighters in the #field, in the #air, or at #sea. Transport also demos optical comms network that will be the backbone of #JADC2 in #space. (8 of 9)#SemperCitius #PWSA #space #defense
Tranche 0 Update: That’s what we’ve got to share today. We’ve been #transparent about plans and progress from #dayone at SDA. We will keep that going with Tranche 0 and beyond. Got questions? DM us or reach out direct. (9 of 9)#SemperCitius #PWSA #space #defense
“First tracking sats, built by SpaceX, achieved first light: infrared images using wide-field-of-view sensors,” the agency said June 14 in a twitter post.