SpaceX is scheduled to launch a classified national security payload for the U.S. Space Force on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission, designated USSF-259, is set for liftoff at 7:18 p.m. PDT (10:18 p.m. EDT / 0218 UTC).
What Happened
The Falcon 9 will lift off from Space Launch Complex 4E on a southerly trajectory. The classified payload is expected to be deployed into a low Earth orbit inclined roughly 80 degrees from the Equator. SpaceX will use first stage booster B1097 for this mission, which is its 13th flight. B1097 has previously launched NROL-172, Twilight, Transporter-17, Sentinel-6B, and eight batches of Starlink satellites. Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster targets a landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.
Why It Matters
USSF-259 represents the third launch in a month procured by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) through the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 contract. SSC has declined to confirm details for these missions, which include USSF-366 (launched Aug. 15) and USSF-153 (launched Sept. 10). Public documents identified the previous missions as R1 and R2, each carrying 23 satellites, while USSF-259 is designated as TH-1. A subsequent mission, R-3, is scheduled for Sept. 27. If successful, the booster landing will mark the 224th landing on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship and the 661st Falcon booster landing to date.
The Bottom Line
SpaceX continues to execute a high cadence of national security launches under the NSSL Phase 3 contract, with USSF-259 serving as the latest classified mission from Vandenberg using a previously flown Falcon 9 booster.