Question 1

What rocket is launching SAOCOM 1B?

Accepted Answer

SAOCOM 1B is launching on the Falcon 9 Block 5.

Question 2

Who is launching SAOCOM 1B?

Accepted Answer

SAOCOM 1B is being launched by SpaceX, a commercial launch provider founded in 2002.

Question 3

Where is SAOCOM 1B launching from?

Accepted Answer

SAOCOM 1B is launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is SAOCOM 1B heading to?

Accepted Answer

SAOCOM 1B is heading to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

Question 5

Is the Falcon 9 Block 5 reusable?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Falcon 9 Block 5 is designed to be reused, with boosters that can fly multiple missions.

Question 6

How many times has the Falcon 9 Block 5 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Falcon 9 Block 5 has launched 612 times to date, with 610 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the SAOCOM 1B mission?

Accepted Answer

The SAOCOM 1B spacecraft is the second of the two SAOCOM constellation satellites. It is tasked with hydrology and land observation, and will also operate jointly with the Italian COSMO-SkyMed constellation in X-band to provide frequent information relevant for emergency management. Two rideshare payloads are present - Tyvak-0172 and PlanetiQ’s GNOMES-1.

Two rideshare payloads are present - Tyvak-0172 and PlanetiQ’s GNOMES-1.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

SAOCOM 1B

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 40

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions