Launch Roundup: Alpha ready for launch, Falcon 9 to launch cargo to ISS

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This week will see the worldwide launch cadence slow, with only four launches scheduled. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is expected to launch just twice, with a mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and a Commerical Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station.

Moreover, a Minotaur rocket will launch another classified reconnaissance payload from Vandenberg. Firefly’s Alpha rocket is also set to make another attempt at launching a Lockheed Martin test satellite following delays from launch attempts in March.

Minotaur IV | NROL 174

On Wednesday, April 16, at 12:00 PM PDT (19:00 UTC), a Minotaur IV will lift off from Space Launch Complex 8 (SLC-8) at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California carrying a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The vehicle will follow a southeasterly trajectory to place the payload into a low-Earth orbit (LEO).

Minotaur IV is a 23.88-meter-tall, four stage rocket derived from the Minotaur Peacekeeper missile design. The Orion 38 fourth stage supplements the original three stages of the missile. All four solid stages are fitted with thrust vector control to provide precise orbital insertion capabilities. Northrop Grumman Space Systems operates the vehicle. This will be the first Minotaur IV mission of 2025 and the sixth total.

Alpha | Message In A Booster

A test flight for Lockheed Martin’s new LM400 satellite bus will be launched by a Firefly Alpha rocket from Space Launch Complex 2W (SLC-2W) at VSFB on Friday, April 18, at 6:37 AM PDT (13:37 UTC). This flight was previously postponed several times in March.

The LM400 will carry a demonstration communications payload into LEO. This will be the first flight of 2025 for Alpha and the rocket’s sixth flight overall. The mission has been dubbed “Message In A Booster” to recognize the payload and the rocket’s capabilities.

The Alpha rocket is comprised of two stages. The first stage features four Reaver engines powered by kerosene and liquid oxygen. The second stage utilizes a single Lightning engine that burns the same propellants and uses a tap-off cycle. Alpha is 1.82 meters in diameter and stands 29.48 meters tall.

NASASpaceflight is providing launch livestream production services for Firefly Flight A006.

Falcon 9 | NROL 145

A Falcon 9 is expected to launch no earlier than Saturday, April 19, at 5:47 AM PDT (12:47 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at VSFB in California.

The classified payload is believed to be the tenth batch of Starshield satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the NRO. The constellation will allow the NRO to provide the U.S. government with imaging and other reconnaissance capabilities.

No information is currently available regarding the identity of the booster supporting this flight. However, it is expected to land on Of Course I Still Love You, one of SpaceX’s autonomous droneships, stationed approximately 640 km downrange in the Pacific Ocean.

Falcon 9 is a 3.9-meter-diameter, 70-meter-high two stage rocket. Nine Merlin 1D engines power the first stage booster, while the second utilizes a single vacuum-optimized Merlin engine. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are the first and only reusable orbital rockets in service today, with one Falcon booster having recently flown its 27 mission. The two payload fairings are also recovered and reused after flight.

Falcon 9 | CRS-32

A cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to launch on Monday, April 21, at 4:15 AM EDT (08:15 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A SpaceX Cargo Dragon will launch atop a Falcon 9 on a northwesterly trajectory to intercept the Station.

This mission was awarded to SpaceX as part of a six-mission contract extension to the Cargo Resupply Services 2 (CRS2) contract in March 2022, covering missions through CRS-35 in 2026. The currently unknown Cargo Dragon will carry a payload of food, water, and other essentials to the Station, as well as an array of science experiments and spare parts. The booster supporting this mission is currently unknown but is expected to land at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station following launch.

Included in the science payload for this mission is a French atomic clock that will form part of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) experiment — a European facility that will test fundamental physics outside of the Columbus module on the ISS. By creating a “network of clocks,” ACES will link its highly precise timepieces with the most accurate clocks on Earth and compare them to measure the flow of time.

According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, gravity affects the passing of time. Experiments on Earth have shown that time flies faster at higher altitudes, such as at the tops of mountains or in orbit. ACES will take this experiment to the next level, making precise measurements on the ISS as it flies 400 km above Earth. The data gathered by ACES will offer scientists new insights into the relationship between gravity and time, advancing our understanding of fundamental laws of physics.

Another experiment, “Aerosol Monitors,” will compare three different monitors to determine the best methods to detect and categorize different particles within the ISS. One of these monitors will be able to differentiate between dust and smoke, which will be important for ensuring the safety and good health of crew members onboard the ISS.

Dragon will also carry a robotic spacecraft guidance demonstration, a pharmaceutical manufacturing experiment, and a plant growth experiment, among others.

(Lead image: Falcon 9 launches from Florida. Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF)

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