Image: SpaceX
Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer E
SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
SpaceX's 705th launch · 86th this year · humanity's 7,342nd orbital launch attempt
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Window: Jul 16, 20:22 – Jul 16, 21:09 UTC
Flight preview
SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer E
Tranche 1 Transport Layer E is one of six missions by the United States Space Force Space Development Agency (SDA) for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation, which will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms from Low Earth Orbit satellites. The constellation will be interconnected with Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) which have significantly increased performance over existing radio frequency crosslinks. It is expected to operate over Ka band, have stereo coverage and be dynamically networked for simpler hand-offs, greater bandwidth and fault tolerance. This launch carries 21 satellites manufactured by York Space Systems.
Government/Top Secret · Polar Orbit (PO)
Booster
- B1103 · flight 4 · Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship @ Of Course I Still Love You · landed ✓ · last flew Falcon 9 Block 5 | NROL-179 · zone record 212/220
Watch
- SpaceX SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer E — The Space Devs
- Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California for U.S. Military's Space Development Agency — Spaceflight Now
- SDA's Third Tranche 1 Mission — SpaceX
Flight timeline
- T−38MGO for Prop Load
- T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−35MProp Load
- T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−1MTank Press
- T−1MStartup
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−3SIgnition
- P0DLiftoff
- T+1M14SMax-Q
- T+2M29SMECO
- T+2M33SStage 2 Separation
- T+2M41SSES-1
- T+3M21SFairing Separation
- T+6M23SEntry Burn Startup
- T+6M46SEntry Burn Shutdown
- T+8M13SStage 1 Landing Burn
- T+8M35SSECO-1
- T+8M37SStage 1 Landing
Updates
Launch success.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/16/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 7/16/2026 · source
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/16/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 7/16/2026 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/16/2026 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/15/2026 · source
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/13/2026 · source
NET July 16 per marine navigation warnings, TBC.
Cosmic_Penguin · 7/8/2026 · source
Adding launch
Jay · 6/9/2023 · source
News
SpaceX launches 21 satellites for military data network
With the launch of 21 York Space Systems satellites, the Space Development Agency has now placed half of its planned Tranche 1 Transport Layer constellation in orbit
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 21 communications satellites for the Space Development Agency
The Tranche 1 Transporter Layer E (T1TL-E) mission is the third batch of operational satellites launched to support the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture satellite constellation. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 1:32 p.m. PDT (4:32 p.m. EDT / 2032 UTC).
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Pad — Space Launch Complex 4E
Local pad time: Jul 16, 1:32 PM PDT
283 launches from this pad · 899 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
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