Watch the Launch

Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California with 45 payloads on CAS500-2 rideshare mission

Watch live coverage as SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket from California with 45 payloads on the CAS500-2 rideshare mission. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for Sunday at 12 am PDT (3 am EDT / 0700 UTC) The first-stage booster, making …

CAS500-2 Mission

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SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

CAS500-2 & Others

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Earth Science

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
B1071 - Landing Zone 4

Ride-share of 45 satellites including: * CAS500-2 (KASA, South Korea) The South Korean CAS500-1 and -2 satellites will image the Earth in pan-chromatic and multi-spectral modes using the AEISS-C (Advanced Earth Imaging Sensor System) payload, with a ground resolution of 0.5 m in panchromatic mode and 2 m in color mode. * Pelican-7, 8 & 9 (Planet Labs) Pelican is a constellation of very high resolution imaging satellites, designed and manufactured by Planet Labs. The commercial constellation will consist of 32 SmallSats with potential for further expansion, and aims to provide improved spatial resolution and response times over Planet’s existing SkySat and Dove constellations.

Telemetry

Launch trajectory and telemetry simulations provided by Flight Club - a rocket launch simulator and orbital trajectory visualiser for all things space!

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • May 3, 2026, 9:31 a.m.

Launch success with all payload deployed and main payload in contact (https://x.com/with_kasa/status/2050859729262649817).


hitura-nobad • May 3, 2026, 7 a.m.

Liftoff


Cosmic_Penguin • May 3, 2026, 6:53 a.m.

New T-0.


LL2 • May 3, 2026, 6:46 a.m.

Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started


Cosmic_Penguin • May 2, 2026, 10:32 p.m.

Launch time is to the second.


Falcon 9

Family:
Configuration: Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.65 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.2 m
  • Launch Mass
    549.0 T
  • Thrust
    7607.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon 9
  • Family
    ―
  • Variant
    Block 5
  • Alias
    ―
  • Full Name
    Falcon 9 Block 5
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $52000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    22800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    8300.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    ―
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    ―

Booster Info


B1071

Status: Active


Type: Core
Flight Proven: Yes
First Flight: February 2, 2022
Last Flight: July 11, 2026
Flights: 35
Landings Attempted: 35
Landings Successful: 35
Previous B1071 Flights

Landing Information

The Falcon 9 first stage B1071 has landed back at the launch site at Landing Zone 4 after its 33rd flight.

Result: Successful Return to Launch Site landing at Landing Zone 4.

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 728 Failures: 15 Pending: 137

Agency Type:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI
NASA

NASA-Supported Small Spacecraft Launches to Study Solar Particles

Through NASA, a university-designed small spacecraft is paving the way to studying particles, known as neutrinos, that move through the universe at near-light speeds. The Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics CubeSat, known as SNAPPY, laun…

ESA

Launch boosts European Earth monitoring and connectivity

Thirteen European satellites on the same rideshare launcher have successfully reached orbit, bringing capabilities to Italian and Greek monitoring programmes as well as CubeSats that will test satellite connectivity.

Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch South Korean Earth observation satellite, plus 44 more payloads on overnight Falcon 9 rideshare mission

The CAS500-2 mission is scheduled for liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 11:59 p.m. PDT (2:59 a.m. EDT / 0659 UTC). The Korea Aerospace Industries’ Compact Advanced Satellite 500 (CAS500) satellite will be the first to d…

NASASpaceflight

SpaceX launches CAS500-2 and 45 other payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit

SpaceX successfully launched its third rideshare mission of 2026 aboard Falcon 9. The mission carried… The post SpaceX launches CAS500-2 and 45 other payloads to Sun-synchronous orbit appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

NASASpaceflight

Launch Preview: Falcon Heavy returns, Atlas V and Ariane 6 to launch Amazon Leo satellites

Six launches are expected from Florida, California, and French Guiana this week, with SpaceX scheduled… The post Launch Preview: Falcon Heavy returns, Atlas V and Ariane 6 to launch Amazon Leo satellites appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.…

Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Space Launch Complex 4E


Kinetica 2
Success
1 day, 11 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #17
Launch Area 140 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Electron
Success
1 day, 19 hours ago
The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 7 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-18
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


GSLV Mk II
Success
4 days, 17 hours ago
IRNSS-1L (NVS-03)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 15-16
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 8A
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
SatNet LEO Group 28
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Starlink Group 15-15
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 4B
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Yaogan 53-07 to 09/56-19 to 21
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

6 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Long March 6A
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
Yaogan 50-03
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 50-03 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Electron
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
We're Not Hawking Around (3x HawkEye 360)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

HawkEye 360 is a a space-based civil global intelligence satellite network using radio frequency (RF) technology to help monitor transportation acros…