Falcon 9 Block 5 | TRACERS
Programma
Pad
Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Rocket
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.
Full Name: Falcon 9 Block 5
Maiden Flight: 2018-05-11
Total Launch Count: 400
Successful Launches: 399
Failed Launches: 1
Mission
Mission Name: TRACERS
Type: Heliophysics
Description: NASA's Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) mission, consisting of two identical satellites that will orbit Earth in tandem (one following the other), will help understand magnetic re-connection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic re-connection occurs when activity from the Sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for impacts of solar activity on Earth.
Orbit: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Updates
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-01-31T03:00:00ZAdded launch (previously thought to be launching on a Transporter mission but appears to be now flying separately as primary payload of its ride-share - see https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=62129.0).
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-04-02T15:49:00ZChanged launch site.
Cosmic_Penguin
2025-03-18T02:08:00ZNET May 11.