This Friday, SpaceX is gearing up for the launch of a set of military satellites, following a one-day delay. The mission involves a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 13 spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency (SDA). The liftoff is scheduled for 10:26 a.m. EDT (1426 GMT) from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base (7:26 a.m. local California time).
You can catch all the live action right here on Space.com when the time comes, thanks to SpaceX. Coverage is set to begin 15 minutes before liftoff. SpaceX initially aimed for an Aug. 31 launch but postponed it for undisclosed reasons.
This launch marks SpaceX's second mission in support of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a groundbreaking initiative involving a network of satellites in low Earth orbit. The PWSA will provide global military communication, missile warning, and tracking capabilities. The first PWSA mission took place in early April, with a Falcon 9 carrying 10 satellites from Vandenberg.
These initial missions are dedicated to establishing "Tranche 0," a demonstration constellation comprising 28 satellites, primarily focused on communications but with some dedicated to missile detection.
As the name implies, Tranche 0 is just the beginning for PWSA. The Space Force has ambitious plans to deploy hundreds of small satellites, with periodic launches to enhance resilience and capabilities in orbit.
If all goes as planned, the Falcon 9's first stage will return for a pinpoint landing at Vandenberg approximately 7.5 minutes after liftoff. This mission will mark the 14th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to SpaceX.
The precise deployment timeline for the satellites remains undisclosed, as is often the case with national security missions."