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Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481
Falcon 9 is set to launch Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481 on Thu, Oct 15, 2026, 11:44 PM UTC from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
Go for LaunchSpaceX
Liftoff in
05days
20hrs
42min
NET Thu, Oct 15, 2026, 11:44 PM UTC
Live coverage
Watch the webcast
Mission profile
The flight at a glance
Falcon 9Vehicle
SpaceXProvider
Space Launch Complex 4EPad
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USALocation
Government/Top SecretMission type
Polar OrbitOrbit
Flight sequence
Mission timeline
Key events from liftoff — ignition, staging, separation and deployment — with their times relative to T0.
- GO for Prop LoadT- 00:38:00
- Prop LoadT- 00:35:00
- Stage 1 LOX LoadT- 00:35:00
- Stage 2 LOX LoadT- 00:16:00
- Engine ChillT- 00:07:00
- StartupT- 00:01:00
- Tank PressT- 00:01:00
- GO for LaunchT- 00:00:45
- IgnitionT- 00:00:03
- LiftoffT+ 00:00:00
- Max-QT+ 00:01:07
- MECOT+ 00:02:26
- Stage 2 SeparationT+ 00:02:29
- SES-1T+ 00:02:36
- Fairing SeparationT+ 00:03:01
- Entry Burn StartupT+ 00:06:01
- Entry Burn ShutdownT+ 00:06:24
- Stage 1 Landing BurnT+ 00:08:00
- Stage 1 LandingT+ 00:08:09
Flight simulation
Ascent to orbit
A representative gravity-turn climb for Falcon 9 to Polar Orbit. Illustrative model — not this mission’s live telemetry.
Mission timeT+0:00
Altitude0.0 km
Velocity0.00 km/s
PhaseLiftoff
T+0:00 / 8:50
SimulatedRepresentative Falcon 9 ascent profile — illustrative model, not this mission’s live telemetry.
The mission
USSF-481
A classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite bus, based on locations of ascent rocket stage drop zones being fits with previous SDA Transport Layer launches.
Around this launch
Related news
No news linked to this launch yet
As coverage publishes, deduplicated articles about this mission will appear here.
Good to know
Frequently asked
What time does Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481 launch?
Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481 is scheduled to lift off Thu, Oct 15, 2026, 11:44 PM UTC — this page shows a live countdown.
Where can I watch Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481?
A live webcast will appear on this page as soon as the provider publishes a stream link.
Who is launching Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481?
Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481 is a SpaceX mission flying on a Falcon 9.
Where does Falcon 9 Block 5 | USSF-481 launch from?
It lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.