Previous Spaceflight Launches
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Atlas V 401 | Landsat 9
United Launch Alliance | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 27, 2021, 6:12 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission: Earth Science
Landsat 9 is a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey to continue the Landsat program's critical role in monitoring, understanding and managing the land resources needed to sustain human life. Landsat 9, like Landsat 8, has a higher imaging capacity than past Landsats, allowing more valuable data to be added to the Landsat global land archive. Its operational orbit is a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 705 km for a mission lifetime of at least 5 years.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 2-1
SpaceX | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 14, 2021, 3:55 a.m.
Firefly Alpha | Maiden Flight
Firefly Aerospace | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Sept. 3, 2021, 1:59 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission: Test Flight
First flight of the new Firefly Alpha small sat launcher developed by Firefly Aerospace. It will carry Firefly’s DREAM (Dedicated Research & Education Accelerator Mission), which includes various payloads like cubesats, personal items, pictures, DNA samples and more to inspire young people to pursue STEM education.
Low Earth Orbit
Delta IV Heavy | NROL-82
United Launch Alliance | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 26, 2021, 8:47 p.m.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich
SpaceX | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Nov. 21, 2020, 5:17 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission: Earth Science
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B make up the Sentinel-6 mission, also known as Jason Continuity of Service (Jason-CS), which is a partnership between NASA, NOAA, ESA, and EUMETSAT. This mission continues the long-term global sea surface height data record begun by first Jason satellites in 1992. Named after former NASA Earth Science Division Director Michael Freilich, Sentinel-6 Michail Freilich will provide altimeter data necessary for ocean climate monitoring, ocean modelling and numerical ocean prediction, weather forecasting, marine meteorology, coastal altimetry and modelling. A secondary objective of the mission is to collect high-resolution vertical profiles of temperature, using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio-Occultation sounding technique, to assess temperature changes in the troposphere and stratosphere and to support numerical weather prediction. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is to operate in a highly-inclined circular orbit at an altitude of 1336 km, with an operational mission lasting 5 years. Near-identical Sentinel-6B is planned to follow-up shortly after.
Low Earth Orbit #SeeingTheSeas B1063 - Maiden Flight Landing Zone 4
Falcon 9 Block 5 | RADARSAT Constellation
SpaceX | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
June 12, 2019, 2:17 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission: Earth Science
The Radarsat Constellation Mission is a follow-on project to RADARSAT-2 currently developed by MDA. The constellation will consist of a fleet of three spacecraft, and be both complementary and a follow-on to the upcoming deployment of the RADARSAT-2 mission. The primary purpose of the RCM is to provide C-Band data continuity for RADARSAT-2 users, as well as adding a new series of applications enabled through the constellation approach. The main uses of RCM are expected to be in the areas of: maritime surveillance (ship detection, ice monitoring, and oil spill detection), disaster management, ecosystem monitoring. The primary areas of interest are the landmass of Canada and its surrounding Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic maritime areas. The images and derived information are required to be provided to Canadian government users at frequent area coverage rates. Contrary to the earlier RadarSat missions, the imagery will not be available commercially. The spacecraft Payload will consist of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor integrated with an Automated Identification System (AIS). The SAR Payload concept is a 2-panel deployable SAR antenna of length approximately 7 meters.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit B1051 - Flight Proven ( ) Landing Zone 4Delta IV Heavy | NROL-71
United Launch Alliance | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Jan. 19, 2019, 7:10 p.m.
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Iridium-8
SpaceX | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Jan. 11, 2019, 3:31 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission: Communications
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.
Polar Orbit #Iridium8 B1049 - Flight Proven ( ) Just Read the InstructionsFalcon 9 Block 5 | Spaceflight SSO-A
SpaceX | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 3, 2018, 6:34 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission: Dedicated Rideshare
Dedicated rideshare launching payloads into sun-synchronous orbit. Payloads include ORS-6, EU:CROPIS, STPSat-5, BlackSky Global-1 to -4, HawkEye Pathfinder 1-3, Iceye, NEXTSat-1, 2 SkySats, Centauri II, and a Flock of Doves.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit B1046 - Flight Proven ( ) Just Read the InstructionsFalcon 9 Block 5 | SAOCOM 1A
SpaceX | USAVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Oct. 8, 2018, 2:21 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission: Communications
The SAOCOM 1A spacecraft is the first of the two SAOCOM constellation satellites. It is tasked with hydrology and land observaion, and will also operate jointly with the Italian COSMO-SkyMed constellation in X-band to provide frequent information relevant for emergency management.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit #SAOCOM1A B1048 - Flight Proven ( ) Landing Zone 4
