Falcon 9 Block 5 | SPHEREx & PUNCH launch

SpaceXLaunch SuccessfulAstrophysics

SPHEREx & PUNCH

Name: Falcon 9 Block 5 | SPHEREx & PUNCH
Start: 2025-03-12T03:10:12Z
Location: Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Falcon 9 Block 5

Launched Wed, Mar 12 · 3:10:12 AM UTC2025-03-12 03:10:12 UTCSpace Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Reached orbit
Booster landed

Follow SpaceX in the app Watch the replay

Success

Reached Sun-Synchronous Orbit

The second stage shut down at T+8:16 and released the payload at T+41:56.

Landed

B1088 Landed

The first stage landed at Landing Zone 4, on its 3rd flight.

Worldwide

48th

orbital launch attempt in 2025

SpaceX

29th

launch this year

Space Launch Complex 4E

8th

launch from this pad this year

Pad turnaround

17 d 1 h

since the pad's previous launch

Replay

Replay: SPHEREx and PUNCH Launch (Official NASA Broadcast)

The Flight Plan

Planned times, from liftoff at 3:10 AM UTC. The result is at the top of the page.

Countdown9

T−38:002:32 AMLaunch director verifies go for propellant load
T−35:002:35 AMStart of propelland loading
T−35:002:35 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the first stage
T−16:002:54 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the second stage
T−7:003:03 AMStart of engine chilling
T−1:003:09 AMThe onboard computer takes control over the countdown and runs last checks
T−1:003:09 AMFuel tanks are pressurized to flight levels
T−0:453:09 AMLaunch director verifies go for launch
T−0:033:10 AMStart of the engine ignition sequence

Show the countdown (9 steps)

T−38:002:32 AMLaunch director verifies go for propellant load
T−35:002:35 AMStart of propelland loading
T−35:002:35 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the first stage
T−16:002:54 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the second stage
T−7:003:03 AMStart of engine chilling
T−1:003:09 AMThe onboard computer takes control over the countdown and runs last checks
T−1:003:09 AMFuel tanks are pressurized to flight levels
T−0:453:09 AMLaunch director verifies go for launch
T−0:033:10 AMStart of the engine ignition sequence

Ascent6

T+0:003:10 AMFirst upwards movement of the rocket
T+1:083:11 AMMaximum dynamic pressure
T+2:163:12 AMCut-off of the main engine
T+2:203:12 AMSeparation of the second stage from the first
T+2:283:12 AMFirst start of the second engine
T+3:003:13 AMSeparation of the payload fairing

Booster Return6

T+2:333:12 AMStart of the booster boostback burn
T+3:283:13 AMEnd of the booster boostback burn
T+6:133:16 AMStart of the atmospheric entry burn
T+6:323:16 AMEnd of the atmospheric entry burn
T+7:273:17 AMStart of the first stage landing burn
T+7:543:18 AMLanding of the first stage

Second Stage and Payload6

T+8:163:18 AMFirst cut-off of the second engine
T+39:283:49 AMSecond start of the second engine
T+40:103:50 AMSecond cut-off of the second engine
T+41:563:52 AMFinal deployment of the payload from the rocket
T+52:164:02 AMFinal deployment of the payload from the rocket
T+53:074:03 AMFinal deployment of the payload from the rocket

Mission

SPHEREx is a planned two-year astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies.

It also will search for water and organic molecules – essentials for life as we know it – in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy.

NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission will share a ride to space with SPHEREx. It consists of four suitcase-sized satellites, which will focus on the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) and how it generates the solar wind. The spacecraft also will track coronal mass ejections – large eruptions of solar material that can drive large space weather events near Earth – to better understand their evolution and develop new techniques for predicting such eruptions.

Launch Provider

SpaceX

Commercial · United States of America · Founded 2002 · CEO Elon Musk

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

Launches

742

Successful

727

98%

Landings

687

of 715

Upcoming

136

scheduled

FliesFalcon Starship Dragon

All SpaceX launches Website Wikipedia

Updates

Mar 12 · 4:59 AM
Payload Signal Acquisition confirmed.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 12 · 4:06 AM
All spacecraft have separated.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 12 · 3:52 AM
Official Webcast by NASA has started
Launch Library 2
Mar 12 · 3:10 AM
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 12 · 2:19 AM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin

Show earlier updates

Mar 11 · 3:45 PM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 3:54 AM
Confirmed 24 hours turn-around.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 2:19 AM
Scrubbed for the day.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 2:06 AM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 1:42 AM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 10 · 3:43 PM
Tweaked launch time (same for every day towards SSO).
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 10 · 1:41 AM
Confirmed rescheduled for March 10 PDT.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 9 · 4:23 AM
NET March 11 UTC per new marine navigation warnings.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 9 · 12:56 AM
Delayed for additional vehicle checks.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 8 · 2:44 AM
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 6 · 6:59 PM
Delayed to NET March 9 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 5 · 12:40 AM
Delayed to NET March 8 UTC due to range availability.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 3 · 11:57 PM
NET March 7 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 3 · 2:53 PM
Delayed to NET March 6 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 1 · 4:04 AM
Delayed to March 5 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Feb 26 · 11:32 PM
Delayed to March 2 PST.
Cosmic_Penguin
Feb 24 · 7:33 AM
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin
Feb 20 · 7:00 PM
Delayed by 1 day to March 1st.
hitura-nobad
Jan 31 · 6:21 PM
Updated launch date and time.
Cosmic_Penguin
Jan 24 · 12:18 AM
NET February 27.
Cosmic_Penguin
Dec 2 · 6:56 PM
NET February.
Cosmic_Penguin
Nov 12 · 3:00 PM
NET April 2025.
Cosmic_Penguin
Oct 28 · 12:30 PM
Reverting to NET 2025
hitura-nobad
Sep 22 · 6:15 PM
NET 27 February 2025.
Cosmic_Penguin
Aug 19 · 7:13 AM
NET April 2025, adding rideshare payload
Nosu
Jun 24 · 11:55 AM
NET February 2025
Nosu
Feb 4 · 10:05 PM
Added launch
Nosu

Falcon 9 Block 5

Vehicle history

Height

70m

Diameter

3.6m

To low Earth orbit

22,800kg

Liftoff thrust

7,607kN

Space Launch Now for iOS and Android

Notifications before every launch you follow, live countdowns on your home screen and watch, and webcasts as they start.

See what's in the app

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SpaceXLaunch SuccessfulAstrophysics

SPHEREx & PUNCH

Falcon 9 Block 5

Launched Wed, Mar 12 · 3:10:12 AM UTC2025-03-12 03:10:12 UTCSpace Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Reached orbit
Booster landed

Follow SpaceX in the app Watch the replay

Success

Reached Sun-Synchronous Orbit

The second stage shut down at T+8:16 and released the payload at T+41:56.

Landed

B1088 Landed

The first stage landed at Landing Zone 4, on its 3rd flight.

Worldwide

48th

orbital launch attempt in 2025

SpaceX

29th

launch this year

Space Launch Complex 4E

8th

launch from this pad this year

Pad turnaround

17 d 1 h

since the pad's previous launch

Replay

Replay: SPHEREx and PUNCH Launch (Official NASA Broadcast)

The Flight Plan

Planned times, from liftoff at 3:10 AM UTC. The result is at the top of the page.

Countdown9

T−38:002:32 AMLaunch director verifies go for propellant load
T−35:002:35 AMStart of propelland loading
T−35:002:35 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the first stage
T−16:002:54 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the second stage
T−7:003:03 AMStart of engine chilling
T−1:003:09 AMThe onboard computer takes control over the countdown and runs last checks
T−1:003:09 AMFuel tanks are pressurized to flight levels
T−0:453:09 AMLaunch director verifies go for launch
T−0:033:10 AMStart of the engine ignition sequence

Show the countdown (9 steps)

T−38:002:32 AMLaunch director verifies go for propellant load
T−35:002:35 AMStart of propelland loading
T−35:002:35 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the first stage
T−16:002:54 AMStart of liquid oxygen loading in the second stage
T−7:003:03 AMStart of engine chilling
T−1:003:09 AMThe onboard computer takes control over the countdown and runs last checks
T−1:003:09 AMFuel tanks are pressurized to flight levels
T−0:453:09 AMLaunch director verifies go for launch
T−0:033:10 AMStart of the engine ignition sequence

Ascent6

T+0:003:10 AMFirst upwards movement of the rocket
T+1:083:11 AMMaximum dynamic pressure
T+2:163:12 AMCut-off of the main engine
T+2:203:12 AMSeparation of the second stage from the first
T+2:283:12 AMFirst start of the second engine
T+3:003:13 AMSeparation of the payload fairing

Booster Return6

T+2:333:12 AMStart of the booster boostback burn
T+3:283:13 AMEnd of the booster boostback burn
T+6:133:16 AMStart of the atmospheric entry burn
T+6:323:16 AMEnd of the atmospheric entry burn
T+7:273:17 AMStart of the first stage landing burn
T+7:543:18 AMLanding of the first stage

Second Stage and Payload6

T+8:163:18 AMFirst cut-off of the second engine
T+39:283:49 AMSecond start of the second engine
T+40:103:50 AMSecond cut-off of the second engine
T+41:563:52 AMFinal deployment of the payload from the rocket
T+52:164:02 AMFinal deployment of the payload from the rocket
T+53:074:03 AMFinal deployment of the payload from the rocket

Mission

Launch Provider

SpaceX

Commercial · United States of America · Founded 2002 · CEO Elon Musk

Launches

742

Successful

727

98%

Landings

687

of 715

Upcoming

136

scheduled

FliesFalcon Starship Dragon

All SpaceX launches Website Wikipedia

Updates

Mar 12 · 4:59 AM
Payload Signal Acquisition confirmed.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 12 · 4:06 AM
All spacecraft have separated.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 12 · 3:52 AM
Official Webcast by NASA has started
Launch Library 2
Mar 12 · 3:10 AM
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 12 · 2:19 AM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin

Show earlier updates

Mar 11 · 3:45 PM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 3:54 AM
Confirmed 24 hours turn-around.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 2:19 AM
Scrubbed for the day.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 2:06 AM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 11 · 1:42 AM
Updated launch weather.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 10 · 3:43 PM
Tweaked launch time (same for every day towards SSO).
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 10 · 1:41 AM
Confirmed rescheduled for March 10 PDT.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 9 · 4:23 AM
NET March 11 UTC per new marine navigation warnings.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 9 · 12:56 AM
Delayed for additional vehicle checks.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 8 · 2:44 AM
GO for launch.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 6 · 6:59 PM
Delayed to NET March 9 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 5 · 12:40 AM
Delayed to NET March 8 UTC due to range availability.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 3 · 11:57 PM
NET March 7 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 3 · 2:53 PM
Delayed to NET March 6 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Mar 1 · 4:04 AM
Delayed to March 5 UTC.
Cosmic_Penguin
Feb 26 · 11:32 PM
Delayed to March 2 PST.
Cosmic_Penguin
Feb 24 · 7:33 AM
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin
Feb 20 · 7:00 PM
Delayed by 1 day to March 1st.
hitura-nobad
Jan 31 · 6:21 PM
Updated launch date and time.
Cosmic_Penguin
Jan 24 · 12:18 AM
NET February 27.
Cosmic_Penguin
Dec 2 · 6:56 PM
NET February.
Cosmic_Penguin
Nov 12 · 3:00 PM
NET April 2025.
Cosmic_Penguin
Oct 28 · 12:30 PM
Reverting to NET 2025
hitura-nobad
Sep 22 · 6:15 PM
NET 27 February 2025.
Cosmic_Penguin
Aug 19 · 7:13 AM
NET April 2025, adding rideshare payload
Nosu
Jun 24 · 11:55 AM
NET February 2025
Nosu
Feb 4 · 10:05 PM
Added launch
Nosu

Falcon 9 Block 5

Vehicle history

Height

70m

Diameter

3.6m

To low Earth orbit

22,800kg

Liftoff thrust

7,607kN

Next From Vandenberg SFB

Vandenberg SFB schedule

Oct30Fri

Starlink Group 15-18SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USALow Earth OrbitGo for launch4:02 AM UTC Nov2Mon

USSF-432SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USALow Earth OrbitGo for launch1:56 AM UTC

Space Launch Now for iOS and Android

Notifications before every launch you follow, live countdowns on your home screen and watch, and webcasts as they start.

See what's in the app

Scan to open on your phone

SPHEREx & PUNCH

Replay

More Videos

The Flight Plan

Countdown9

Ascent6

Booster Return6

Second Stage and Payload6

Mission

SpaceX

Updates

Falcon 9 Block 5

SPHEREx & PUNCH

Replay

More Videos

The Flight Plan

Countdown9

Ascent6

Booster Return6

Second Stage and Payload6

Mission

SpaceX

Updates

Falcon 9 Block 5

Next From Vandenberg SFB

Next From Vandenberg SFB

SPHEREx & PUNCH

Replay

More Videos

The Flight Plan

Countdown9

Ascent6

Booster Return6

Second Stage and Payload6

Mission

SpaceX

Updates

Falcon 9 Block 5

Never Miss a Launch.

SPHEREx & PUNCH

Replay

More Videos

The Flight Plan

Countdown9

Ascent6

Booster Return6

Second Stage and Payload6

Mission

SpaceX

Updates

Falcon 9 Block 5

Next From Vandenberg SFB

Never Miss a Launch.

Next From Vandenberg SFB