SpaceX F9 - USSF-124 - SLC-40

[Grendal]

Launch Date: February 14
Launch Window: 5:30PM EST (2:30PM PST, 22:30 UTC) - 4 hr 30 min window
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida
Core Booster Recovery: RTLS - LZ-2
Booster: B1078.7
Fairings: Reused
Mass: Top Secret (read the article - 6 satellites)
Orbit: LEO
Yearly Launch Number: 15

A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch a mission for the U.S. Space Force and Missile Defense Agency. This mission was part of the third order year of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) contracts for SpaceX.

Pentagon agencies team up in upcoming launch of hypersonic tracking satellites

Pentagon agencies team up in upcoming launch of hypersonic tracking satellites

spacenews.com

 

[scaesare]

Launch Date: February 14
Launch Window: 5:30 pm EST (2230 UTC) - 4 hour window
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida
Core Booster Recovery: RTLS or ASDS
Booster: B10...
Fairings: Reused
Mass: Top Secret (read the article - 6 satellites)
Orbit: LEO
Yearly Launch Number: 15

A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch a mission for the U.S. Space Force and Missile Defense Agency. This mission was part of the third order year of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) contracts for SpaceX.

Pentagon agencies team up in upcoming launch of hypersonic tracking satellites

Pentagon agencies team up in upcoming launch of hypersonic tracking satellites

spacenews.com

View attachment 1017299

Interesting to see that kind of description for military testing. Normally that sort of thing is more hush-hush. With the claim that Russia used a hypersonic missle in the war with Ukraine a while back, I wonder if this is a deliberate disclosure to put Putin & Co. on notice...

Also these quotes:

“One vendor’s space vehicle was ready to support a December 2023 launch; however, the launch was delayed to no earlier than the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 due to technical issues encountered by the other vendor during final integration testing,” MDA spokesman Mark Wright said in a statement.

MDA did not disclose which of the two HBTSS payloads is having technical issues. A source close to SDA said “any delay at this point is not related to the L3Harris” Tracking Layer satellites.

Seem to indicate the delay is payload related, not launch related...

 

[Grendal]

 

[Grendal]

So it should be good for both launches out of the Cape tomorrow.

 

[ecarfan]

Nice shot of the vehicle ready to go and the nearby Starship Stage Zero.

 

[Grendal]

Nice RTLS. I expect the payload got to where it needed to go.

 

[Grendal]

The normal incredible views from these people: