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SpaceXFalcon 9 Block 5Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

USSF-62

Launched

April 11, 2024 · 14:25 UTC

Launch SuccessfulWeather 95% go
USSF-62

Image: SpaceX

Summary

USSF-62 launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on April 11, 2024 at 14:25 UTC. The launch window ran from 14:25 to 14:35 UTC. It was SpaceX's 349th launch, 38th this year and humanity's 6,660th orbital launch attempt. It was the 266th Falcon 9 Block 5 flight and the 37th this year. Booster B1082 flew for the 3rd time and landed at Landing Zone 4. The payload was bound for Polar Orbit (PO). It reached a 826 × 836 km orbit inclined 98.7°. One object from this launch is catalogued.

Watch
Vehicle
Falcon 9 Block 5 · SpaceX
Booster
  • B1082 · flight 3 · Return to Launch Site at Landing Zone 4 · landed35/35 landed here · 55 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 7-14
Mission
Earth Science · Polar Orbit (PO)for USSF
Milestone
266th Falcon 9 Block 5 flight · 37th this yearSpaceX's 349th launch38th this yearhumanity's 6,660th orbital launch attempt71st orbital launch attempt this year

Flight preview

Simulate in Flight Club

Orbit: as tracked

98.7°Inclination
826 × 836 kmPerigee × apogeefrom mean elements
101.4 minPeriodfrom mean elements
110.5°Ascending node
917 d agoElement epoch2024-04-11 17:57 UTC · stale

WSF-M SV1 · NORAD 59481 · 2024-070 · Space-Track

Show the numbers for orbit elements
Object
TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
Object ID
2024-070A
Epoch
2024-04-11 17:57:58 UTC
Mean motion
14.20455254 rev/day
Eccentricity
0.0006419
Inclination
98.7129°
Ascending node
110.5167°
Arg. of perigee
96.2191°
Mean anomaly
76.2273°
Element set
999
Rev at epoch
1
B*
0

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

Flight timeline

25 steps, T−38 min to T+54 min 57 s
  1. T−38MGO for Prop Load
  2. T−35MProp Load
  3. T−35MStage 1 LOX Load
  4. T−16MStage 2 LOX Load
  5. T−7MEngine Chill
  6. T−1MTank Press
  7. T−1MStartup
  8. T−45SGO for Launch
  9. T−3SIgnition
  10. T−0Liftoff
  11. T+1M12SMax-Q
  12. T+2M19SMECO
  13. T+2M23SStage 2 Separation
  14. T+2M30SSES-1
  15. T+2M36SBooster Boostback Burn Startup
  16. T+3M1SFairing Separation
  17. T+3M30SBooster Boostback Burn Shutdown
  18. T+6M7SEntry Burn Startup
  19. T+6M25SEntry Burn Shutdown
  20. T+7M24SStage 1 Landing Burn
  21. T+7M52SStage 1 Landing
  22. T+8M27SSECO-1
  23. T+49M51SSES-2
  24. T+49M56SSECO-2
  25. T+54M57SPayload Separation

Catalogued objects

1 catalogued: 1 payload; 1 still in orbit

  • WSF-M SV1 · NORAD 59481 · in orbit

Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org

About this launch

First Weather System Follow-on (WSF) satellite. WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) is the next-generation operational environmental satellite system for the Department of Defense (DoD), to replace the microwave wavelength weather forecasting capabilities of the DMSP satellites. Ball Aerospace has been selected in late November 2017 to be the prime contractor for 2 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) weather satellites with a passive microwave imaging radiometer instrument and hosted Government furnished energetic charged particle (ECP) sensor space weather payload developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The radiometer leverages the Ball-built Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument. This mission will improve weather forecasting over maritime regions by taking global measurements of the atmosphere and ocean surface.

Official page: SpaceX

Pad

Map of Space Launch Complex 4E

Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

141st launch from Space Launch Complex 4E, 13th this year · 752nd from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Local pad time at liftoff: Apr 11, 7:25 AM PDT, in daylight

303 launches from this pad · 919 from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

4 days 12 hours after the previous launch from this pad

All launches from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAOpen in maps

Updates

Satellite confirmed in operation.

Cosmic_Penguin · Apr 12, 2024 · source

Show 8 earlier updates

  • Payload deployed

    Nosu · 4/11/2024 · source

  • Liftoff

    Nosu · 4/11/2024 · source

  • Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started

    LL2 · 4/11/2024 · source

  • Weather 95%

    Nosu · 4/11/2024 · source

  • GO for launch.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 4/11/2024 · source

  • NET April 11.

    Cosmic_Penguin · 4/7/2024 · source

  • Delayed to April

    Nosu · 3/19/2024 · source

  • Adding launch

    Nosu · 5/27/2022 · source

Questions

When did USSF-62 launch?

USSF-62 launched on April 11, 2024 at 14:25 UTC. The launch window ran from 14:25 to 14:35 UTC.

Where can I watch USSF-62?

Coverage: SpaceX USSF-62; SpaceX - Falcon 9 - USSF-62/WSF-M1 - SLC-4E - Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA. - April 11, 2024; Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch Space Force weather satellite from California. Watch the replay

What rocket launched USSF-62?

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

Where did USSF-62 launch from?

Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA. Liftoff was Apr 11, 7:25 AM PDT local time at the pad.

Did the booster land?

Booster B1082 flew for the 3rd time and landed at Landing Zone 4.

What orbit did USSF-62 reach?

It reached a 826 × 836 km orbit inclined 98.7°.

How many satellites did USSF-62 launch?

1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).