SpaceX Launches First ‘Twilight’ Rideshare Mission with NASA Payloads

SpaceX successfully launched its inaugural ‘Twilight’ rideshare mission on January 14, 2024, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:20 a.m. PST (8:20 a.m. EST / 1320 UTC) and is set to deploy multiple payloads, including three NASA spacecraft designed for astronomical research.

The ‘Twilight’ mission is notable for its flight to a “dawn-dusk Sun-synchronous orbit.” This new class of rideshare mission will see payloads jettisoned from the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage starting approximately one hour after liftoff, continuing for more than 2.5 hours. As of Saturday, SpaceX had confirmed 40 deployment events slated for this launch.

Payloads and Research Objectives

Among the payloads is the **Pandora** spacecraft, developed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. This mission aims to enhance our understanding of exoplanets by observing the atmospheres of these distant worlds. Equipped with a 17-inch-wide (45 cm) telescope, Pandora will conduct observations in both visible and infrared light, analyzing 20 stars and 39 exoplanets over a five-year timeline. With a budget cap of **$20 million**, Pandora represents a significant step forward in exoplanet exploration.

Daniel Apai, a professor of astronomy and planetary science at the University of Arizona, noted, “The Pandora mission is a bold new chapter in exoplanet exploration. It is the first space telescope built specifically to study, in detail, starlight filtered through exoplanet atmospheres.” The data collected will aid in interpreting findings from previous missions, including NASA’s Kepler and Webb space telescopes.

The mission also includes two other NASA-backed payloads, **BlackCat** and **SPARCS** (Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat). BlackCat, funded with **$5.8 million**, is a wide-field x-ray telescope developed by Pennsylvania State University, focusing on cosmic phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts. Meanwhile, SPARCS will investigate stellar flares and sunspots, which may impact the habitability of nearby exoplanets.

Significant Milestones and Collaborations

The Falcon 9 rocket utilized for the Twilight mission is designated B1097, marking its fifth flight. This booster previously supported three launches of Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites and the Sentinel-6B spacecraft. Approximately **7.5 minutes** after liftoff, B1097 is expected to land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4), aiming for a successful recovery that would contribute to SpaceX’s growing tally of booster landings, currently at 556.

The mission also highlights a collaborative effort with **Exolaunch**, which is responsible for managing over half of the 40 payloads. One of the first deployments will be the Connecta Internet of Things CubeSats from Plan-S Satellite and Space Technologies based in Türkiye. This launch will add to Plan-S’s fleet, bringing their total to 16 IoT satellites in low Earth orbit.

Jeanne Allarie, Chief Investor Relations Officer at Exolaunch, stated, “The Twilight mission builds directly on a record-breaking year for Exolaunch. In 2025 alone, we completed 11 launches and deployed 196 satellites, the highest annual launch cadence in our history.”

Another noteworthy payload is the Araqys-D1/Dcubed-1 satellite from Germany, which aims to manufacture a **60-cm boom** in space. If successful, this project would represent a significant advancement in in-space manufacturing, paving the way for constructing larger structures in orbit.

In addition to the scientific instruments and satellites, **Kepler Communications** plans to deploy ten Aether satellites during the Twilight mission. These communications satellites feature advanced optical terminals designed for high-throughput, low-latency laser links, enhancing real-time data transmission capabilities in space.

As the mission unfolds, it promises to not only enrich our understanding of the universe but also demonstrate the capabilities of new technologies and international collaborations in space exploration. With its diverse range of payloads and innovative objectives, the Twilight mission stands as a testament to the evolving landscape of space research and satellite deployment.