Falcon 9 Block 5 | Pandora / Twilight rideshare mission

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 Details

  • Launch date: January 11, 2026 at 01:44 PM UTC
  • Launch vehicle: Falcon 9
  • Operator: SpaceX
  • Launch site: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
  • Mission type: Astrophysics