Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Iridium-8

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Polar Orbit
Mission: Communications

Polar Orbit Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA Probability: 60% #Iridium8
B1049 - Just Read the Instructions

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will deliver 10 satellites to low Earth orbit for Iridium, a global leader in mobile voice and data satellite communications. This is the eighth set of 10 satellites in a series of 75 total satellites that SpaceX will launch for Iridium's next generation global satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT.

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


B1049

Status: Expended


Type: Core
Flight Proven: Yes
First Flight: September 10, 2018
Last Flight: November 23, 2022
Flights: 11
Landings Attempted: 10
Landings Successful: 10
Previous B1049 Flights

Landing Information

The booster will attempt a landing on Just Read the Instructions in the Pacific Ocean.

Result: Successful Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship landing at Just Read the Instructions.

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 692 Failures: 15 Pending: 126

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

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 4E


Long March 3B/E
Success
3 hours ago
Tianlian 2-06
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second g…


Gravity-1
Success
1 day, 12 hours ago
9 satellites
Yellow Sea (launch location 5) - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Carried 9 satellites on a share-ride to sun-synchronous orbit. Details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 17 hours ago
MRV-1
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The Northrop Grumman/SpaceLogistics MRV-1 is a mission extension payload including a mission robotic vehicle (MRV) and multiple mission extension pod…


Falcon 9
Success
2 days ago
Starlink Group 17-39
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Soyuz 2.1b
Success
3 days, 18 hours ago
16 x Rassvet-3
Unknown Pad - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Payload identities uncertain. Batch of 16 Rassvet-3 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Russian Byuro-1440 (Bureau 1440) conste…


Vikram-I
Success
5 days, 8 hours ago
Demo Flight
Satish Dhawan Space Centre First Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

First launch of Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-I launch vehicle. This first launch will carry 4 payloads: - Grahaa Space's SOLARAS S3 satellite - C…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 18 hours ago
SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer E
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Tranche 1 Transport Layer E is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Sp…


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Soyuz MS-29
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-29 will carry three cosmonauts and one astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 10-45
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 15-14
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.