Update by the edhat staff
May 2, 2024

SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday.

Liftoff took place from Complex 4 East at 11:36 a.m. with the first stage booster, B1061, touching back down at Landing Zone 4.

The rocket carried two WorldView Legion satellites, the first two of a scheduled six-satellite constellation for Maxar. When these are all in orbit, they will allow Maxar’s customers to revisit views of a particular location up to 15 times per day. The current satellites the company has on-orbit are able to revisit a site two times per day.

“WorldView Legion and the Maxar 500 series platform is the culmination of decades of experience in building satellites for customer missions,” said Chris Johnson, Maxar Space Systems CEO. “We are excited to reach this important program milestone and look forward to continued partnership on the program.”

Maxar Technologies partnered with Raytheon Missiles and Defense to develop an instrument suite for their WorldView Legion satellite.

This satellite will be capable of capturing high-resolution imagery with a resolution as fine as 30 cm. The instrument suite provides improved control and sensitivity to each band, allowing customers to better distinguish between different materials on the ground, including vegetation and manmade objects.

Maxar also highlights the satellite’s potential for enhancing U.S. national security by monitoring nuclear and ballistic missile activities in North Korea and Iran as well as offering Vessel Detection Services.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/ARDD4KXS63

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 2, 2024

SpaceX Launch Scheduled for Mid-Day Thursday

By the edhat staff
May 1, 2024

A SpaceX launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for mid-day on Thursday, May 2nd.

The Falcon 9 rocket is currently expected to lift off for the Maxar 1 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East. The 14-minute window opens at 11:36 a.m. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, May 3 at the same time.

About eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 4. There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.

The rocket will carry the WorldView Legion 1 and 2 commercial Earth imaging satellites into orbit.

This will be the 20th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, Korea 425, and nine Starlink missions.

After stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about 15 minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.