A dense run of launches is scheduled for this week, with seven rockets from four countries preparing to lift off. The schedule, laid out in a launch preview from NASASpaceflight, spans U.S. military and commercial missions, a South Korean rocket on its second flight, two Chinese launches and a Rocket Lab mission that marks a milestone for the company.
The week opens on Monday with a Falcon 9 carrying the USSF-627 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, which is widely expected to deploy Starshield satellites for the U.S. government. Another Falcon 9, USSF-317, is set to launch from Vandenberg on Friday and is also presumed to be a Starshield mission. Officials have not disclosed how many satellites either flight will carry, because the payloads are classified.
South Korea's Mir rocket is scheduled to fly on Tuesday in its second attempt, and the mission is intended as the country's first full-scale orbital launch attempt. Two Chinese rockets are also on the calendar, a Chang Zheng 2D on Wednesday and a Kuaizhou 11 on Thursday, though neither payload has been identified.
The most closely watched flight may be United Launch Alliance's Vulcan, which is due to return to flight on Friday after a long pause. The rocket is carrying 40 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband constellation, and the mission is its first flight in nine months, following a 2025 booster ejection. SpaceX's Starship is also planned for Flight 15 on Friday, carrying a Starlink v3 payload, with booster and ship catch attempts on the agenda. That date depends on regulatory approval and could slip.
Rocket Lab rounds out the week with its Electron rocket, scheduled for Saturday. The launch marks the company's 100th Electron mission and will carry a radar satellite for the Japanese firm iQPS.
Credit. Based on reporting by Joe Kangas for NASASpaceflight. Is this your work? Write to us.
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