Launch
SpaceX
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission
- Mission
- rocket
- Pad
- Agency
Mission
Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission
Astrophysics
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
The Pandora small satellite was selected in 2021 as an inaugural mission in NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program. It includes a 0.45-meter telescope that will improve our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by disentangling exoplanet signals from their host stars, as well as studying host star variability with long-duration observations of 20 unique planets through visible-light photometry and near-infrared spectroscopy. Also launching on this launch are 39 other ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications.
Status
Launch Successful
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Pad
Space Launch Complex 4E
USA
Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) is a launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, U.S. The pad was previously used by Atlas and Titan rockets between 1963 and 2005. The pad was built for use by Atlas-Agena rockets, but was later rebuilt to handle Titan rockets.
Latitude: 34.632
longitude: -120.611
Map
Location
America/Los_Angeles
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
857
33
Location Image
Rocket
Falcon 9 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.
Details
Min stage: 2
Max stage: 2m
Length: 70.0m
Diameter: 3.65
First Flight: May 11, 2018
Total launch count: 536
Successful launches: 535
Failed launches: 1
Pending launches: 105
Consecutive successful launches: 238
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) capacity: 22800kg
Launch cost: US$52000000
Apogee: 200km
Attempted landings: 527
Successful landings: 522
Failed landings: 5
Consecutive successful landings: 222
Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) capacity: 8300kg
Manufacturer
SpaceX
Commercial
None
None
Agency
SpaceX
Type: Commercial
Details