Friday, May 18, 2018

Next SpaceX Launch Shifts To Tuesday, From Vandenberg

Hawthorne-based SpaceX is planning to launch another rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Tuesday, as part of a continuing series of launches for satellite operator Iridium. SpaceX is slated to launch five Iridium satellites, plus two satellites for NASA and a German research partner with the launch, which is currently targeted for May 22nd at 12:47:58 p.m. PDT. NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission includes two, identical satellites which are being used to track the movement of water across the planet, including changes in the ice sheets and glaciers, sea level, underground water storage, and more. The SpaceX mission had originally been targeted for launch on Saturday. Image: A prior Iridium satellite launch mission on the launchpad at Vandenberg.