SpaceX to Launch U.S. Space Force's Classified USSF-481 Mission From Vandenberg Thursday Evening
SpaceX is targeting Thursday evening, October 15, for a Falcon 9 launch of the U.S. Space Force's classified USSF-481 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. According to SpaceX's published mission information, the four-hour launch window opens at 4:44 p.m. PDT and closes at 8:44 p.m. PDT; if needed, a backup opportunity is available on Friday, October 16, at 4:35 p.m. PDT.
USSF-481 is a classified satellite deployment mission flown for the U.S. Space Force, and details of the payload have not been publicly disclosed. Because the mission is classified, the webcast will not provide views from the rocket's second stage after stage separation. The rocket will fly a southern trajectory after liftoff.
The first-stage booster supporting the mission, tail number B1081, will be flying for the 28th time. It previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, NASA's PACE and EarthCARE science missions, the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-186, the Space Force's USSF-153, and 16 Starlink missions, among others. Following stage separation, the booster will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
As usual, SpaceX's live webcast will begin about 10 minutes prior to liftoff. The National Weather Service forecasts sunny skies and few clouds over Santa Barbara County during the launch window, according to the Ventura County Star.
It will be the second launch of the week from Vandenberg: on the afternoon of October 12, another Falcon 9 lifted off from the same pad carrying 27 Starlink satellites, as GSM reported earlier.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：猎鹰9号火箭从范登堡太空军基地SLC-4E发射台升空（资料图）。摄影：SpaceX，CC BY 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
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