Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission
Provider: SpaceX
Vehicle: Falcon 9
Launch Date:
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 4E
Target Orbit: SSO
Orbital Compute Tier: Insufficient data
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 39 other ride-share payloads under the "Falcon 9 Twilight mission" manifested by Exolaunch, including satellites from Spire Global and Kepler Communications.
Mission intelligence
Current mission briefs are available immediately to Explore customers and enter the public archive 30 days after launch when their research is ready.