MISSION NAME
Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission
Status
TBD
DATE
5 JAN 2026
LAUNCH PROVIDER
SpaceX
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 4E
Description
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 ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission", including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications.
Falcon 9 Block 5
Rocket Description
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.