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Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California with 45 payloads on CAS500-2 rideshare mission

Watch live coverage as SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket from California with 45 payloads on the CAS500-2 rideshare mission. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for Sunday at 12 am PDT (3 am EDT / 0700 UTC) The first-stage booster, making …

CAS500-2 Mission

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SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

CAS500-2 & Others

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
B1071 - Landing Zone 4

Ride-share of 45 satellites including: * CAS500-2 (KASA, South Korea) The South Korean CAS500-1 and -2 satellites will image the Earth in pan-chromatic and multi-spectral modes using the AEISS-C (Advanced Earth Imaging Sensor System) payload, with a ground resolution of 0.5 m in panchromatic mode and 2 m in color mode. * Pelican-7, 8 & 9 (Planet Labs) Pelican is a constellation of very high resolution imaging satellites, designed and manufactured by Planet Labs. The commercial constellation will consist of 32 SmallSats with potential for further expansion, and aims to provide improved spatial resolution and response times over Planet’s existing SkySat and Dove constellations.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • May 3, 2026, 9:31 a.m.

Launch success with all payload deployed and main payload in contact (https://x.com/with_kasa/status/2050859729262649817).


hitura-nobad • May 3, 2026, 7 a.m.

Liftoff


Cosmic_Penguin • May 3, 2026, 6:53 a.m.

New T-0.


LL2 • May 3, 2026, 6:46 a.m.

Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started


Cosmic_Penguin • May 2, 2026, 10:32 p.m.

Launch time is to the second.


Falcon 9

Family:
Configuration: Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.65 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    549.0 T
  • Thrust
    7607.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon 9
  • Family
  • Variant
    Block 5
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Falcon 9 Block 5
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $52000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    22800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8300.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Booster Info


B1071

Status: Active


Type: Core
Flight Proven: Yes
First Flight: February 2, 2022
Last Flight: May 3, 2026
Flights: 33
Landings Attempted: 33
Landings Successful: 33
Previous B1071 Flights

Landing Information

The Falcon 9 first stage B1071 has landed back at the launch site at Landing Zone 4 after its 33rd flight.

Result: Successful Return to Launch Site landing at Landing Zone 4.

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 664 Failures: 15 Pending: 122

Agency Type:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI

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