SpaceX Sets 1:17 a.m. Monday Launch From Vandenberg for SDA Satellite Batch
The overnight Falcon 9 flight would carry 21 Tranche 1 data-transport satellites for the Space Development Agency, the fourth batch of the Pentagon's constellation buildout.
SpaceX is targeting 1:17 a.m. PT on Monday, Oct. 5, for the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory reported by the Ventura County Star. The advisory also includes a backup launch opportunity the following day if the flight is postponed.
The mission would deploy 21 Tranche 1 data-transport satellites for the Space Development Agency, part of the Pentagon's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The spacecraft were built by Northrop Grumman, making this the company's first Tranche 1 launch, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported.
Once in orbit, the 21 satellites would join 63 Tranche 1 spacecraft already flying, built by York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin. The magazine quoted SDA Director Gurpartap Sandhoo telling reporters during an Oct. 1 prelaunch call that managing a large constellation is a different challenge from flying one or two spacecraft. "It's one thing to go through launch and early ops of one, two, maybe even three or four satellites. Twenty-one is a completely different ball of wax," Sandhoo said.
The flight is the fourth of nine batches SpaceX is helping deliver toward a 154-satellite layered network, according to the Ventura County Star. Once fully deployed in low-Earth orbit, the constellation is expected to provide global military tactical communication and missile defense by 2027.
The Falcon 9's first-stage booster is expected to return to the base after stage separation. Because of the return, Surf Beach on Ocean Avenue near Lompoc, one of the closest spectator spots, will be closed, the Star reported. Vandenberg is an active military base and does not host public viewings at the launch complex, but on a clear night liftoff can be seen as far away as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for partly cloudy skies over Santa Barbara County on Sunday night, with clearer conditions expected by morning. Postponements due to weather or technical issues are common with spaceflight, and spectators are advised to check for updates before heading out.
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