SpaceX Launched the Maxar 2 Mission to LEO This Morning
SpaceX launched two Earth-imaging satellites today, continuing its efforts to build out the WorldView Legion constellation for Maxar Technologies.
(Cape Canaveral, Florida) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Maxar 2 mission to low-Earth orbit (LEO) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 9.00 a.m. EST (1300 GMT) this morning; Falcon 9 carried the Worldview Legion 3 and 4 satellites for Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR), an integrated space infrastructure and intelligence company.
Photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 launching a pair of Maxar Intelligence imaging satellites this morning (Aug. 15, 2024) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida as part of its Maxar 2 mission courtesy of SpaceX.
The two Earth-imaging satellites are part of a the larger Worldview Legion constellation SpaceX is building for Maxar, according to Space.com. Maxar’s WorldView Legion constellation will ultimately consist of six satellites, the first two of which already reached orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 this past May.
Per SpaceNews, WorldView Legion are electro-optical imaging satellites — with resolution of 30 centimeters — used to collect imagery and map the planet.
Maxar Intelligence – a division of Maxar Technologies – is the U.S. government’s primary provider of commercial electro-optical imagery; in 2022, the company won a $3.2 billion contract from the National Reconnaissance Office to supply imagery and mapping services over a decade, according to SpaceNews.
When all six WorldView Legion satellites are launched, Maxar Intelligence’s capacity to collect 30 cm-class and multispectral imagery will triple, according to a March 18th blog post by Maxar Technologies.
Maxar Intelligence CEO Dan Smoot was quoted in the blog post: “WorldView Legion will extend the quality and capability of our industry-leading constellation, redefining Earth observation constellation performance and providing customers with unprecedented access to timely, actionable insights that help drive mission success.”
This morning’s flight marked the 16th for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting the mission, which previously launched CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER, Ovzon 3, Eutelsat 36D, Turksat 6A, and eight Starlink missions, according to SpaceX.
Per SpaceNews, Maxar-2 was SpaceX’s 79th launch of 2024; according to Space.com, nearly 70% of this year’s launches were Starlink flights.
