Updated
Updated · Spaceflight Now · Sep 16
SpaceX Scrubs USSF-259 Launch, Retargets Sept. 16 Falcon 9 Mission
Updated
Updated · Spaceflight Now · Sep 16

SpaceX Scrubs USSF-259 Launch, Retargets Sept. 16 Falcon 9 Mission

3 articles · Updated · Spaceflight Now · Sep 16

Summary

  • SpaceX halted the USSF-259 launch attempt before fueling Monday night and shifted the classified U.S. Space Force mission to a backup window opening 6 p.m. PDT Wednesday from Vandenberg.
  • No public reason was given for the scrub. The Falcon 9 is set to fly south from Space Launch Complex 4E and deploy its payload into low Earth orbit at roughly 80 degrees inclination.
  • B1097 is assigned to the flight for its 13th mission, with a droneship landing attempt about 8.5 minutes after liftoff on Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific.
  • USSF-259 is SpaceX's third launch in a month under the Space Force's NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract, following USSF-366 on Aug. 15 and USSF-153 on Sept. 10; another mission, R-3, is listed for Sept. 27.

Insights

What secret payload is the Space Force rushing into orbit just five days after their last classified launch?
As SpaceX shatters 2026 launch records, could their relentless pace of classified military deployments hint at a massive new surveillance network?
With recycled rockets now hauling America's most classified military tech, is the Space Force sacrificing mission security for unprecedented speed?