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SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

USSF-124

Launched

February 14, 2024 · 22:30 UTC

Launch SuccessfulWeather 98% go
US Space Force Patch

Summary

USSF-124 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on February 14, 2024 at 22:30 UTC. The launch window ran from 22:30 to 03:00 UTC. It was SpaceX's 324th launch, 13th this year and humanity's 6,617th orbital launch attempt. It was the 242nd Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 13th this year. Booster B1078 flew for the 7th time and landed at Landing Zone 2. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). HBTSS-SV2, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 1,000 × 1,011 km orbit inclined 40.0°. 6 objects from this launch are catalogued, all of them payloads.

Watch
Vehicle
Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceX
Booster
  • B1078 · flight 7 · Return to Launch Site at Landing Zone 2 · landed17/17 landed here · 73 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 6-31 · 9 km downrange
Mission
Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for MDA
Milestone
242nd Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 13th this yearSpaceX's 324th launch13th this yearhumanity's 6,617th orbital launch attempt28th orbital launch attempt this year

Webcast

Replay
Watch on YouTube

Flight preview

Simulate in Flight Club

Orbit: as tracked

40.0°Inclination
1000 × 1011 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
105.1 minPeriodfrom mean elements
2.6°Ascending node
974 d agoElement epoch2024-02-15 02:17 UTC · stale

HBTSS-SV2 · NORAD 58955 · 2024-028 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 6 objects

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
Object ID
2024-028A
Epoch
2024-02-15 02:17:44 UTC
Mean motion
13.70355619 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.0007813
Inclination
39.9879°
Ascending node
2.5505°
Arg. of perigee
348.6873°
Mean anomaly
118.0815°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
2
B*
0

Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile. Booster return drawn from padside's representative arc.

Flight timeline

21 steps, T−38 min to T+8 min 1 s
  1. T−38MGO for Prop Load
  2. T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
  3. T−35MProp Load
  4. T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
  5. T−7MEngine Chill
  6. T−1MStartup
  7. T−1MTank Press
  8. T−45SGO for Launch
  9. T−3SIgnition
  10. T−0Liftoff
  11. T+1M12SMax-Q
  12. T+2M16SMECO
  13. T+2M19SStage 2 Separation
  14. T+2M27SSES-1
  15. T+2M32SBooster Boostback Burn Startup
  16. T+3M8SFairing Separation
  17. T+3M26SBooster Boostback Burn Shutdown
  18. T+6M16SEntry Burn Startup
  19. T+6M34SEntry Burn Shutdown
  20. T+7M32SStage 1 Landing Burn
  21. T+8M1SStage 1 Landing

Catalogued objects

6 catalogued: 6 payloads; 6 still in orbit

  • HBTSS-SV2 · NORAD 58955 · in orbit
  • RAPTOR 4 · NORAD 58956 · in orbit
  • RAPTOR 1 · NORAD 58957 · in orbit
  • RAPTOR 3 · NORAD 58958 · in orbit
  • RAPTOR 2 · NORAD 58959 · in orbit
  • HBTSS-SV1 · NORAD 58960 · in orbit

Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org

About this launch

2 satellites, one by L3Harris and the other by Northrop Grumman, will be launched as the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) mission for the US Missile Defense Agency. These satellites have improved sensitivity to detect and track hypersonic missiles with fainter signatures. 4 SDA Tranche 0 Tracking Layer missile warning satellites by L3Harris will also be on board.

Official page: SpaceX

Pad

Map of Space Launch Complex 40

Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

224th launch from Space Launch Complex 40, 6th this year · 934th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Local pad time at liftoff: Feb 14, 5:30 PM EST, in daylight

403 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

6 days 15 hours after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAOpen in maps

Updates

Launch success.

Cosmic_Penguin · Feb 15, 2024 · source

Show 9 earlier updates

  • Liftoff.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 2/14/2024 · source

  • Livestream has started

    LL2 · 2/14/2024 · source

  • GO for launch.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 2/14/2024 · source

  • Weather > 95% GO

    hitura-nobad · 2/13/2024 · source

  • Tweaked T-0 via launch site NOTAMs.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 2/9/2024 · source

  • Added launch window.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 2/8/2024 · source

  • Reportedly targeting February 14

    Nosu · 2/8/2024 · source

  • Targeting February

    Nosu · 2/1/2024 · source

  • NET early 2024.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 12/9/2023 · source

Questions

When did USSF-124 launch?

USSF-124 launched on February 14, 2024 at 22:30 UTC. The launch window ran from 22:30 to 03:00 UTC.

Where can I watch USSF-124?

Coverage: SpaceX USSF-124; USSF-124 Mission; SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches USSF-124 for the United States Space Force. Watch the replay

What rocket launched USSF-124?

Falcon 9 Block 5, flown by SpaceX. Falcon 9 Block 5 spec sheet

Where did USSF-124 launch from?

Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Liftoff was Feb 14, 5:30 PM EST local time at the pad.

Did the booster land?

Booster B1078 flew for the 7th time and landed at Landing Zone 2.

What orbit did USSF-124 reach?

HBTSS-SV2, one of 6 catalogued objects, reached a 1,000 × 1,011 km orbit inclined 40.0°.

How many satellites did USSF-124 launch?

6 payloads from this launch are catalogued, 6 of them still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).