Update May 3, 6:17 a.m. EDT (1017 UTC): SpaceX confirmed deployment of all payloads.
SpaceX launched 45 payloads on an overnight rideshare mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Station early Sunday morning.
The mission, dubbed CAS500-2, is named for the primary payload called Compact Advanced Satellite 500-2 from the Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI). It’s the second of two satellites that KAI calls Phase 1 of its CAS500 program, which is designed for “precision ground-based observation.”
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 12 a.m. PDT (3 a.m. EDT / 0700 UTC). The rocket deployed the CAS500-2 satellite into a Sun-synchronous orbit about 60 minutes after launch.
“This mission reflects the strength of the U.S.–Republic of Korea alliance and Vandenberg’s enduring role in assuring access to space for our nation, allies and partners,” Space Launch Delta 30 said in a pre-launch statement. “By enabling trusted international partners to place capabilities on orbit, the Vandenberg Spaceport supports peaceful space cooperation, regional stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
