SpaceX Launches 40 Spacecraft On Rideshare Mission Dubbed Twilight

On a crisp January morning, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket pierced the California sky, embarking on a rideshare mission dubbed “Twilight.” At 8:44 a. m. Eastern, the rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying a diverse payload of 40 spacecraft, including three NASA astrophysics small satellites and dozens of commercial satellites.

The Falcon 9 rocket successfully deployed its payload into dusk-dawn sun-synchronous orbits, a feat that commenced 61 minutes after liftoff and concluded over 90 minutes later. This mission marked a significant milestone for SpaceX’s rideshare program, which offers a cost-effective solution for satellite operators to reach orbit.

The commercial payloads on board included 10 optical data relay network satellites for Kepler Communications, nine Lemur satellites for Spire, and satellites from companies such as Plan-S, Hawkeye 360, Capella Space, Iceye, and Umbra. These satellites will enhance various capabilities, including data relay networks, Internet of Things connectivity, radio frequency intelligence, and radar imaging.

The NASA astrophysics missions on board were equally ambitious. The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS), a 6U cubesat developed by the University of Arizona, aims to study ← →