After a two-day delay, SpaceX launched an advanced new set of military satellites into orbit for the United States Space Force on Saturday (Sept. 2), tying its own flight rate record simultaneously.
SpaceX launches 13 Satellites for The United States Space Force (Photo: Waff)
13 Satellites Was Launched for The United States Space Force
As per the report of Defense News, the Space Development Agency launched its second batch of data transmission and missile tracking satellites for the United States Space Force on September 2, setting the groundwork for a constellation that will serve as the backbone of the Pentagon’s all-domain operations concept.
The 13 satellites launched for the United States Space Force were sent into low Earth orbit, some 1,200 miles above the planet’s surface, by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base and included ten Lockheed Martin transport spacecraft, one from Colorado-based York Space Systems, and two tracking satellites from SpaceX.
Saturday’s launch of 13 Satellites for The United States Space Force
According to Space, Saturday’s launch for the United States Space Force was the second in support of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), “a new layered network of satellites in low Earth orbit and supporting elements that will provide global military communication and missile warning, indication, and tracking capabilities,” according to a mission description provided by SpaceX.
The first PWSA mission took place in early April when a Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg.
According to SpaceNews, the first two flights will focus on constructing “Tranche 0,” a demonstration constellation of 28 satellites. The majority of them are communications craft, although some are missile detection craft.
Tranche 0 is, as the name implies, only the beginning of the PWSA.
“Under the plan, the United States Space Force will have hundreds of small satellites, with new ones launched every few years to increase resilience and capabilities in orbit,” said Air and Space Forces Magazine in late March.
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