SpaceX made a Vandenberg launch early Saturday, sending 21 Northrop Grumman-built data satellites for the Space Development Agency into orbit after a five-day delay. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:39 a.m. PDT and headed south from Space Launch Complex 4E.
The flight added 21 satellites to the U.S. military’s data network and brought the number of satellites in orbit from the SDA Tranche 1 launches to 63. Tranche 1 is expected to begin providing operational capabilities to the Department of Defense beginning in 2027.
Atticus Vadera on extra checks
Atticus Vadera said, “Additional time throughout the week allowed for double checks on vehicle systems and range deconfliction.” The added time followed a scrubbed Oct. 5 attempt that stopped with 58 seconds remaining on the clock, after SpaceX said the hold was caused by “some off-nominal data on Stage Two.”
SpaceX lowered the vehicle to a horizontal position at the pad for troubleshooting, then pushed the launch back a day at a time. Vadera’s comment pointed to the two issues that shaped the week: vehicle checks and range deconfliction.
Vandenberg Space Force Base timing
The range conflict is believed to have involved a missile test from Vandenberg on Friday. SpaceX then proceeded from the same pad early Saturday after the additional checks were complete. The mission is called Tranche 1 Transport Layer A and is the fourth mission sending production satellites into orbit for the Space Development Agency.
The launch used Falcon 9 booster B1103, which flew for the sixth time. About 7.5 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX landed it at Landing Zone 4, marking the 37th landing there and the 668th Falcon booster landing overall.
Tranche 1 Transport Layer A
The 21 satellites launched Saturday were delivered to Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 28. Tranche 1 is part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, and the full buildout is planned to include 126 Transport Layer satellites, 28 Tracking Layer satellites and four missile defense demonstration spacecraft.
With three launches complete before this flight, the program reached 63 satellites in orbit after the Saturday mission. GP Sandhoo said the deployment of Tranche 1’s proliferated capability will soon deliver continuous overwatch, and that timeline now puts the network on track for its 2027 operational start.
