USSF-178 (WSF-M 2 & BLAZE-2)

Liftoff Time

No Earlier Than 2027

Mission Details

WSF-M 2

Wiki

WSF-M (Weather System Follow-on - Microwave) is the next-generation operational environmental satellite system for the Department of Defense (DoD), to replace the microwave wavelength weather forecasting capabilities of the DMSP satellites. Ball Aerospace has been selected in late November 2017 to be the prime contractor for 2 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) weather satellites with a passive microwave imaging radiometer instrument and hosted Government furnished energetic charged particle (ECP) sensor space weather payload developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The radiometer leverages the Ball-built Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) instrument. This mission will improve weather forecasting over maritime regions by taking global measurements of the atmosphere and ocean surface.

Manufacturer: Ball Aerospace

Operator: United States Space Force

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

1,200 kilograms

BLAZE-2

BLAZE-2 is a launch opportunity for operational, research, development, and prototype small satellites from across the DoD. Details TBD.

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

Rocket

Active
Falcon 9 Block 5

Active Since 2018

SpaceX logo

Agency

SpaceX

Price

$69.75 million

Rocket

Diameter: 3.7m

Height: 70m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 22,800 kg

GTO: 8,300 kg

Liftoff Thrust

7,607 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 5.2m

Height: 13m

Stages

2

Launch Site

SLC-4E

Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

Fastest Turnaround

2 days 21 hours