RecapLAUNCH SUCCESSFULLive

USSF-⁠481

Falcon 9Vandenberg, California

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Mission

Falcon 9 launched USSF-⁠481 from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-⁠4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. After stage separation, the first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship.

Before the flight

A classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite bus, based on locations of ascent rocket stage drop zones being fits with previous SDA Transport Layer launches.

Mission briefing from SpaceX

On Thursday, October 15 at 5:01 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched the USSF-⁠481 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-⁠4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

This was the 28th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-⁠7, CRS-⁠29, PACE, Transporter-⁠10, EarthCARE, NROL-⁠186, Transporter-⁠13, TRACERS, NROL-⁠48, COSMO-SkyMED Second Generation FM3, USSF-⁠153, and 16 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

There was the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may have heard one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experienced depended on weather and other conditions.

Launched
Thu 17:01:05 PDT at the pad
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5SpaceX
Destination
Polar Orbit
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg, California65th launch from this pad in 20262 days after the last

28th

Flight of B1081

574km

Downrange landing, OCISLY

120th

SpaceX launch of 2026

35days

Since B1081’s last flight

Flight

From liftoff to orbit

  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Max QT+00:01:07
  5. Stage separationT+00:02:29
  6. FairingT+00:02:56
  7. LandingT+00:08:23
  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Stage separationT+00:02:29
  5. LandingT+00:08:23
  1. SLC-4E
  2. OCISLY574 km downrange
  3. LiftoffT+00:00:00
  4. Max QT+00:01:07
  5. Stage separationT+00:02:29
  6. FairingT+00:02:56
  7. LandingT+00:08:23
Schematic, not to scale. Tap a moment for more.Point at a moment for more.SpaceX’s graphic

All times approximate, in your time zone (CEST)Timeline: SpaceX

  1. T minus 38 minutesSpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
  2. T minus 35 minutesRP-⁠1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
  3. T minus 35 minutes1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
  4. T minus 16 minutes2nd stage LOX loading begins
  5. T minus 7 minutesFalcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
  6. T minus 1 minuteCommand flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
  7. T minus 1 minutePropellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
  8. T minus 45 secondsSpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
  9. T minus 3 secondsEngine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
  10. T plus 0 secondsFalcon 9 liftoff
  11. T plus 1 minute 7 secondsMax Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
  12. T plus 2 minutes 25 seconds1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
  13. T plus 2 minutes 29 seconds1st and 2nd stages separate
  14. T plus 2 minutes 36 seconds2nd stage engine starts (SES-⁠1)
  15. T plus 2 minutes 56 secondsFairing separation, 2nd stage
  16. T plus 6 minutes 2 seconds1st stage entry burn begins
  17. T plus 6 minutes 26 seconds1st stage entry burn ends
  18. T plus 8 minutes1st stage landing burn begins
  19. T plus 8 minutes 23 seconds1st stage lands on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship

Falcon 9 Block 5

SpaceXReusable640 launches since May 2018, 639 successful

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  • BoosterB1081had most recently launched USSF-⁠153
About Falcon 9 Block 5

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.

70m

Height

3.7m

Diameter

549t

Mass at liftoff

7.6MN

Thrust at liftoff

23t

Payload to low Earth orbit

8.3t

Payload to geostationary transfer orbit

Orbit estimated from CelesTrak’s elementsMeasured trackSpaceX’s predicted path

In orbit now

The crewed stations and Hubble, once around the Earth every 92 to 94 minutes

SpacecraftAltitudeSpeed
ISSDocked: Soyuz MS-⁠29, Crew-⁠13In Earth’s shadow430km27,561km/h
TiangongDocked: Shenzhou-⁠23In sunlight385km27,652km/h
HubbleIn sunlight477km27,461km/h

Estimated for from CelesTrak’s orbital elements, up to 33 h old.

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