Falcon 9 launch with military satellites postponed again

WORLD  31 March 2023 - 19:47

The launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with a constellation of ten satellites of the US Space Force's new missile attack warning system (EWS), scheduled for March 31, has been postponed to April 1.

According to Interfax, this was announced by the carrier developer SpaceX.

This is the second postponement of the launch, which was originally scheduled for March 30 and was canceled 3 seconds before launch.

As SpaceX said, "more time is needed to prepare the rocket, the next launch attempt will be made no earlier than April 1."

The rocket is to be launched from the SLC-4E launch pad at US Space Force Vandenberg Base in California.

The Tranche spacecraft are the first part of the Space Force Proliferated Warfighter space architecture under development. The new early warning system will consist of a multi-layer network of satellites and supporting elements that will provide global military communications and missile warning, indication and tracking capabilities in low Earth orbit at a height of 950 km.

The group of devices weighing 150 kg each includes two satellites for detecting and tracking launches of hypersonic and ballistic missiles equipped with infrared sensors with a wide field of view (OPIR), and eight satellites for laser communications, data routing, navigation and a backup control system.

Caliber.Az