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SpaceX

Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission

Success

Falcon 9 Block 5

T-minus to liftoff

HOURS

MINUTES

SECONDS

Sunday January 11 2026, 13:44:50 UTC

StatusSuccess

Scrub riskLOW

Go95%

VehicleFalcon 9 Block 5

OrbitSun-Synchronous Orbit

PadSpace Launch Complex 4E

Launch CodexDossier

Every source for this mission in one place — news, social, references, notes & the exact timeline.

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Acquiring satellite view…

Trajectory unknown

Space Launch Complex 4E

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

34.632, -120.611

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Mission

The Pandora small satellite was selected in 2021 as an inaugural mission in NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers Program. It includes a 0.45-meter telescope that will improve our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by disentangling exoplanet signals from their host stars, as well as studying host star variability with long-duration observations of 20 unique planets through visible-light photometry and near-infrared spectroscopy. Also launching on this launch are 39 other ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications.

Q's read

Weather & scrubLOW risk

Weather Go95%Wind7 m/sGusts9 m/sCloud64%Temp17°C

Limiting rule: No flight through cumulus cloud with top at or above the freezing level.

max cloud-top 5759 m above freezing 3589 m (98% cover in 10 nmi) · no GLM flashes within 25 nmi / 30 min, likely cirrus / stratiform ice rather than cumulus · max-top 5759 m, mean 4377 m, 98% cover, freezing 3589 m · 7.1 ≥ 6 ft significant wave height

Launch Timeline

In-flight

T+00:01:12

Max-Q

T+00:02:15

MECO

T+00:02:18

Stage 2 Separation

T+00:02:22

Stage 1 Flip

T+00:02:26

SES-1

T+00:02:32

Booster Boostback Burn Startup

T+00:02:56

Fairing Separation

T+00:03:26

Booster Boostback Burn Shutdown

T+00:06:08

Entry Burn Startup

T+00:06:19

Entry Burn Shutdown

T+00:07:16

Stage 1 Landing Burn

T+00:07:34

Stage 1 Landing

T+00:08:09

SECO-1

T+00:56:55

SES-2

T+00:56:56

SECO-2

T+01:01:33

Payload Deployment Sequence Start

T+01:08:22

Payload Deployment Sequence End

T+01:43:04

SES-3

T+01:43:05

SECO-3

T+02:14:51

SES-4

T+02:14:52

SECO-4

T+02:19:56

Payload Deployment Sequence Start

T+02:32:59

Payload Deployment Sequence End

Quick facts

VehicleFalcon 9 Block 5

OrbitSun-Synchronous Orbit

PadSpace Launch Complex 4E

SiteVandenberg SFB, CA, USA

WindowSunday January 11 2026, 13:19:00 UTC→Sunday January 11 2026, 14:16:00 UTC

Vehicle

FamilyFalcon

Height70 m

Diameter3.7 m

Stages2

ReusableYes

LEO capacity22,800 kg

Track record606/607 successful

Landings593/598