SpaceX has successfully launched its 37th Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying a defense satellite for Luxembourg along with multiple other rideshare payloads. The orbital flight features OHB Italia’s NAOS (National Advanced Optical System) spacecraft, designed to capture up to 100 high-resolution images daily.
The mission marked the 28th landing of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 first stage booster B1063 at Landing Zone 4, and its 493rd booster landing to date. The main satellite, NAOS, will orbit the Earth 15 times per day in a low Earth orbit at an altitude of 450 km (280 mi).
The Luxembourg government had previously switched from launching on a Vega-C rocket due to the failure of the VV22 mission in December 2022. The satellite is expected to have a minimum response time of about 17 hours between image requests and deliveries.
Other rideshare payloads include two Gen 1 Pelican satellites from Planet, designed for high-resolution imagery, as well as seven other satellites managed by Exolaunch, Dhruva Space, and Capella Space.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/08/26/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-falcon-9-rocket-on-rideshare-mission-from-vandenberg-sfb