On August 15, 2024, SpaceX successfully launched two cutting-edge imaging satellites for Maxar Technologies, a leading provider of satellite-based Earth intelligence. The two satellites, built by Maxar, were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The rocket soared into the sky at at 9:00 a.m. EDT, carrying the satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit, where they will provide unparalleled high-resolution imagery of the Earth's surface.
Picture credit SpaceX
The satellites, named WorldView Legion 3 and 4 are designed to capture detailed images of the Earth's surface, with a resolution of up to 30 centimeters. This level of detail will enable Maxar to provide its customers with accurate and timely insights into various applications, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, and disaster response. The WorldView Legion constellation will eventually consist of six satellites. The first two were launched to orbit aboard a Falcon 9 in May of this year.
"Today's launch marks a significant achievement in our partnership with SpaceX," said Dan Jablonsky, CEO of Maxar Technologies. "The WorldView Legion satellites will provide our customers with the highest quality imagery, enabling them to make informed decisions about our changing planet."
According to Maxar representative "When all six WorldView Legion satellites are launched, it will triple Maxar Intelligence's capacity to collect 30-centimeter-class [12 inches] and multispectral imagery,"
"The full Maxar constellation of 10 electro-optical satellites will image the most rapidly changing areas on Earth as regularly as every 20 to 30 minutes, from sunup to sundown," they added.
The WorldView Legion satellites are equipped with advanced imaging technology, including multispectral and hyperspectral sensors. These sensors will capture a wide range of data, from visible and infrared imagery to detailed spectral information. This data will be used to support a variety of applications, including:
Environmental monitoring: Tracking changes in land use, deforestation, and climate change.
Urban planning: Providing detailed imagery for urban development, infrastructure planning, and emergency response.
Disaster response: Capturing critical information for disaster response and recovery efforts.
The Falcon 9 rocket used in the launch has flown numerous missions for NASA, the US military, and commercial customers, showcasing its reliability and versatility. Maxar-2 was SpaceX’s 79th launch of 2024 and marked the 16th flight of the Falcon 9 first stage booster which landed back to LZ-1, Cape Canaveral about eight minutes after liftoff.
"SpaceX is proud to partner with Maxar to launch these cutting-edge imaging satellites," said Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. "Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this mission, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Maxar."
Today's launch adds to the ever growing tally of successful launches by SpaceX who launched three missions in the past five days, including two of their own starlink satellite missions. So far, SpaceX has launched nearly 80 missions already in 2024, more than 70% of them Starlink flights.
According to Elon Musk, SpaceX is aiming for 100 launches in 2024. This ambitious goal was announced by Elon Musk during a recent earnings call, where he emphasized the company's focus on increasing its launch cadence and reducing costs.
Reaching 100 launches in 2024 would be a significant milestone for SpaceX, demonstrating its reusable capabilities as a leading launch provider.
By Azhar
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