📝 Mission Description

This Falcon 9 launch carries the Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission mission, scheduled for January 05, 2026. The mission aims to deliver important payloads to orbit, contributing to our understanding of space and advancing technological capabilities.

ℹ️ Official Details

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.

🎯 Post-Launch Analysis

The Falcon 9 Block 5 launch of the Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission on January 11, 2026, achieved a successful orbital insertion and payload deployment. The mission executed flawlessly, with the rocket demonstrating reliable technical performance throughout ascent and separation phases. The primary payload, NASA’s Pandora small satellite, featuring a 0.45-meter telescope for exoplanet atmosphere studies, was precisely placed into its target orbit alongside 39 rideshare payloads from the Twilight mission, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications. Key engineering outcomes include validated reusability of the Falcon 9 booster and seamless multi-payload deployment, reinforcing SpaceX’s rideshare capabilities. This success underscores the platform’s reliability for diverse scientific and commercial missions, paving the way for future Astrophysics Pioneers Program launches and expanded rideshare opportunities, while advancing our understanding of exoplanetary systems through Pandora’s innovative observations.

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