SpaceX Falcon 9 : SPHEREx + PUNCH : VSFB SLC-4E : 11/12 March 2025 (03:10 UTC)

[Steven Pietrobon]

NASA SPHEREx press kit.

[StraumliBlight]

NASA Sets Launch Coverage for Missions Studying Cosmic Origins, Sun [Feb 18]

The launch window opens at 10:09 p.m. EST (7:09 p.m. PST) Thursday, Feb. 27, for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

[...]

NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Tuesday, Feb. 25

2 p.m. – SPHEREx and PUNCH Science Overview News Conference

 • Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters
 • Joe Westlake, director, Heliophysics Division, NASA Headquarters
 • Nicholeen Viall, PUNCH Mission Scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
 • Rachel Akeson, SPHEREx science data center lead, Caltech/IPAC
 • Phil Korngut, SPHEREx instrument scientist, Caltech

Wednesday, Feb. 26

3:30 p.m. – SPHEREx and PUNCH Prelaunch News Conference

 • Mark Clampin, acting deputy associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
 • David Cheney, PUNCH program executive, NASA Headquarters
 • James Fanson, SPHEREx project manager, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
 • Denton Gibson, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program
 • Julianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science Missions, SpaceX
 • U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Ina Park, 30th Operations Support Squadron launch weather officer

Thursday, Feb. 27

12 p.m. – SPHEREx and PUNCH Launch Preview.

9:15 p.m. – Launch coverage begins.

10:09 p.m. – Launch window opens.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Seems like the launch got delayed to February 28 PST: https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/spherex-and-punch-launch/

The pre-launch news conference is now also showing delayed to the 27th: https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/spherex-and-punch-pre-launch-news-conference/

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Seems like the launch got delayed to February 28 PST: https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/spherex-and-punch-launch/

The pre-launch news conference is now also showing delayed to the 27th: https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/spherex-and-punch-pre-launch-news-conference/

And officially confirmed:

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 10:09 p.m. EST (7:09 p.m. PST) on Friday, Feb. 28, for the launch of the agency’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions. The new date will allow additional time to ensure the vehicle’s readiness ahead of liftoff. SPHEREx and PUNCH will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The SPHEREx mission (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) will improve our understanding of what happened in the first second after the big bang and search for key ingredients for life in our galaxy. The PUNCH mission (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) will observe the Sun’s corona as it transitions into the solar wind.

The prelaunch news briefing now will be held at 3:30 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 27, with coverage streaming live on NASA+. Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at [email protected].

The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast will begin at 9:15 p.m. EST, Friday, Feb. 28, and stream live on NASA+.

Visit the NASA website for more information about SPHEREx and PUNCH.

[StraumliBlight]

Watch the launch of a NASA space telescope that will create a 3D all-sky map in 102 colors, with a constellation of solar-observing satellites along for the ride. Our SPHEREx observatory and PUNCH mission will lift off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Watch the pre-launch science for NASA's SPHEREx and PUNCH missions.

Watch NASA's prelaunch update for SPHEREx and PUNCH missions.

[Steven Pietrobon]

NASA PUNCH press kit.

https://assets.science.nasa.gov/content/dam/science/missions/punch/PUNCH%20Press%20Kit%20Updated%20Feb%2020%202025.pdf

[randomname]

NGA Space Debris notice that effectively functions as a rocket launching notice for this launch. Trajectory southwest.

242341Z FEB 25
NAVAREA XII 112/25(18).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS:
   A. 010304Z TO 010345Z, 020304Z TO 020345Z,
      030304Z TO 030345Z, 040304Z TO 040345Z,
      050304Z TO 050345Z, 060304Z TO 060345Z AND
      070304Z TO 070345Z MAR IN AREA BOUND BY
      30-17.00N 121-16.00W, 29-42.00N 121-47.00W,
      29-45.00N 122-37.00W, 30-30.00N 122-50.00W,
      31-00.00N 122-13.00W, 31-00.00N 121-24.00W.
   B. 010304Z TO 010340Z, 020304Z TO 020340Z,
      030304Z TO 030340Z, 040304Z TO 040340Z,
      050304Z TO 050340Z, 060304Z TO 060340Z AND
      070304Z TO 070340Z MAR IN AREA BOUND BY
      34-41.00N 120-42.00W, 34-41.00N 120-27.00W,
      34-26.00N 120-27.00W, 30-57.00N 121-49.00W,
      30-59.00N 121-57.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 070445Z MAR 25.

This NGA notice could be for stage 2 re-entry:

242332Z FEB 25
HYDROPAC 487/25(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0453Z TO 0541Z DAILY 01 THRU 07 MAR
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   22-31.00S 167-56.00W, 22-35.00S 171-18.00W,
   39-37.00S 177-11.00W, 41-15.00S 172-09.00W.
2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 486/25.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 070641Z MAR 25.

You may observe that the notice cancels HYDROPAC 486/25, which was a fully identical notice emailed 10 minutes before 487/25. 486/25 itself canceled 485/25, another identical notice that was emailed 10 minutes before 486/25. Dates, zones, and wording all identical across the three notices.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Air space closure zones:

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/NASA_LSP/status/1894437533984923703

NASA's Launch Services Program

@NASA_LSP
🚀It’s launch week! Do you know your satellites?

Yes, it’s a two-fer! SPHEREx is an observatory that will study the entire galaxy while PUNCH will observe the Sun’s corona.

Watch a science briefing today at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST) on NASA+.

NASA+ viewer for those that don't have that:

https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/spherex-and-punch-science-overview-news-conference/

[StraumliBlight]

NASA, SpaceX Update the Launch of Space Telescope and Sun Missions [Feb 26]

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Sunday, March 2, for the launch of the agency’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions. The new date will allow additional time for teams to perform rocket processing ahead of liftoff. The launch time is targeted for 10:09 p.m. EST (7:09 p.m. PST) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

[...]

The prelaunch news briefing now is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, with coverage streaming live on NASA+. Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at [email protected].

The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast will begin at 9:15 p.m., Sunday, March 2, and stream live NASA+.

[Martin_G]

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp:

SPACEX FALCON 9 SPHERE X, VANDENBERG, SFB
PRIMARY:    03/03/25   0304Z-0340Z
BACKUP:      03/04/25   0304Z-0340Z

[Martin_G]

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp:

SPACEX FALCON 9 SPHERE X, VANDENBERG, SFB
PRIMARY:    03/05/25   0304Z-0340Z
BACKUP:      03/06/25   0304Z-0340Z

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp:

SPACEX FALCON 9 SPHERE X, VANDENBERG, SFB
PRIMARY:    03/05/25   0304Z-0340Z
BACKUP:      03/06/25   0304Z-0340Z

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spherex/2025/02/28/nasa-spacex-update-launch-date-for-spherex-punch-mission/

NASA, SpaceX Update Launch Date for SPHEREx, PUNCH Mission

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Tuesday, March 4, for the launch of the agency’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions. The teams need additional time to evaluate launch vehicle hardware data.

The launch window opens at 10:09 p.m. EST (7:09 p.m. PST) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The SPHEREx mission (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) will improve our understanding of what happened in the first second after the big bang and search for key ingredients for life in our galaxy. The PUNCH mission (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) will observe the Sun’s corona as it transitions into the solar wind.

The prelaunch news briefing now is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on March 3, with coverage streaming live on NASA+. Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at [email protected].

The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast will begin at 9:15 p.m., March 4, and stream live NASA+.

Visit the NASA website for more information about SPHEREx and PUNCH.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Potentially additional delays coming?

SPHEREx and PUNCH Update

NASA will not hold the SPHEREx and PUNCH prelaunch news conference on Monday, March 3. The agency will share more information as soon as possible.

[StraumliBlight]

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp [Mar 3 16:31]

SPACEX FALCON 9 SPHERE X, VANDENBERG SFB, CA

PRIMARY:	03/06/25	0304Z-0340Z
BACKUP:	03/07/25	0304Z-0340Z

[randomname]

New set of NGA notices for a launch attempt on 6th UTC / 5th local.

031734Z MAR 25
NAVAREA XII 127/25(18).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0304Z TO 0345Z DAILY 06 THRU 12 MAR
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 31-00.00N 121-24.00W, 31-00.00N 122-13.00W,
      30-30.00N 122-50.00W, 29-45.00N 122-37.00W,
      29-42.00N 121-47.00W, 30-17.00N 121-16.00W.
   B. 34-26.00N 120-27.00W, 34-41.00N 120-27.00W,
      34-41.00N 120-42.00W, 30-59.00N 121-57.00W,
      30-57.00N 121-49.00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 112/25.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 120445Z MAR 25.

031608Z MAR 25
HYDROPAC 561/25(76,83).
SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0453Z TO 0541Z DAILY 06 THRU 12 MAR
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   22-31.00S 167-56.00W, 22-35.00S 171-18.00W,
   39-37.00S 177-11.00W, 41-15.00S 172-09.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 120641Z MAR 25.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spherex/2025/03/03/nasa-spacex-update-launch-date-for-spherex-punch-missions/

NASA, SpaceX Update Launch Date for SPHEREx, PUNCH Missions

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Thursday, March 6, for the launch of the agency’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions. The additional time will allow teams to complete vehicle processing and prelaunch checkouts.

The launch window opens at 10:09 p.m. EST (7:09 p.m. PST) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The SPHEREx mission (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) will improve our understanding of what happened in the first second after the big bang and search for key ingredients for life in our galaxy. The PUNCH mission (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) will observe the Sun’s corona as it transitions into the solar wind.

The prelaunch news briefing now is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, with coverage streaming live on NASA+. Media may ask questions via phone. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at [email protected].

The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast will begin at 9:15 p.m., Thursday, March 6, and stream live on NASA+.

Visit the NASA website for more information about SPHEREx and PUNCH.

[GewoonLukas_]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spherex/2025/03/03/nasa-spacex-update-launch-date-for-spherex-punch-missions/

Encapsulation picture. And a couple more from https://images.nasa.gov/

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spherex/2025/03/04/nasa-spacex-update-launch-date-for-spherex-punch-missions-2/

NASA, SpaceX Update Launch Date for SPHEREx, PUNCH Missions

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Friday, March 7, for the launch of the agency’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions due to the availability of a launch opportunity on the Western range.

The launch window opens at 10:09 p.m. EST (7:09 p.m. PST) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The prelaunch news briefing now is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, with coverage streaming live on NASA+. Media may ask questions via phone. For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour before the start of the event at [email protected].

The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast will begin at 9:15 p.m., Friday, March 7, and stream live on NASA+.

Visit the NASA website for more information about SPHEREx and PUNCH.

[VLN]

Wondering why the usual fairing-catcher Go Crusader/Go Beyond is still in port this morning. Would they discard fairings on a RTLS launch? Or did they slip another ship into the lineup while I wasn’t watching?