Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission
Falcon 9 Block 5
Sunday, January 11, 2026 · 13:44 UTC
Mission
/01The 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 39 other ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications.
Mission Type
Orbit
Probability
Status
Vehicle & Pad
/02Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Variant: Block 5
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 4E
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
34.632° N, 120.611° W
Pad Launches
Location Launches
Agency Launches
Orbital This Year