Technicians and engineers encapsulate NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites within a protective payload fairing inside the Astrotech Space Operations Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Technicians and engineers encapsulate NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory and PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) satellites within a protective payload fairing inside the Astrotech Space Operations Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Benjamin Fry / BAE Systems photo

After the team found and fixed flaws during pre-launch chores, the Falcon 9 rocket and its cargo of five NASA satellites were back on track toward liftoff Saturday from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The two-stage rocket’s is aiming for departure at 7:10 p.m. The launch will be followed about eight minutes later by the first-stage booster’s return to Vandenberg, landing just west of its departure site at Space Launch Complex-4. 

On Friday, NASA and SpaceX officials confirmed that the mission, once planned for Feb. 27, has been cleared for liftoff.

“We’ve run into a lot of challenges along the way,” said Denton Gibson, NASA launch director.

However, the team worked diligently to clear the hurdles so the payloads could be placed on the rocket ahead of rollout to the launch pad Friday, he added.

The team encountered what Julianna Scheiman, NASA science missions director for SpaceX, called “a series of integration issues” plus other challenges out of their control.

Scheiman said the team spotted possible trouble with inserts used on a system to mitigate the ride that a spacecraft experiences as a rocket rises. 

“We needed to pause, first understand the issue, make sure that we had a safe path to fly, and once we were able to do that, install updated fasteners,” she said, adding that the flaw and fix accounted for a large portion of the delay. 

Additionally, the team detected a leak on the pneumatic separation system employed by the Falcon’s two fairing halves, or nosecone segments.

Employees with BAE Systems conduct spacecraft processing of NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory inside the Astrotech Space Operations Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base. BAE Systems, formerly Ball Aerospace, built the telescope and the spacecraft frame.
Employees with BAE Systems conduct spacecraft processing of NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) observatory inside the Astrotech Space Operations Facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base. BAE Systems, formerly Ball Aerospace, built the telescope and the spacecraft frame. Credit: Benjamin Fry / BAE Systems photo

After stowing the satellites into the payload faring, technicians typically ensure the separation system is sufficient to complete its vital role. 

However, while checking the separation system’s pressure, the team detected a leak, requiring removing the payload fairing to make the repairs and repack the payload.

The team also experienced a weather delay because of windy conditions while trying to transport the payload fairing packed with the satellites from the processing facility to the launch site.

They also had to step aside because of a higher priority operation happening on Vandenberg’s Western Range. Vandenberg saw the military’s secret spaceplane, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, return from orbit plus a static fire test for the Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket.

“We worked together with SpaceX to ensure that we resolved all of these issues and ensure that we are ready to step into launch tomorrow,” Gibson added Friday afternoon. 

While the Central Coast has seen rainy and windy weather this week and more rain is expected next week, great conditions are expected for a weekend launch attempt, according to Air Force 1st Lt. Ina Park, a Vandenberg launch weather officer.

“Being in between two systems means that we’re going to have really good weather for this weekend,” Park said, adding there’s a 100% chance of favorable weather for the launch. 

If the launch is delayed to Sunday, conditions drop slightly with a 90% chance the team would have to scrub the attempt.

When it ultimately lifts off, the Vandenberg rocket is set to deliver the satellite known as SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer). The space telescope will map the universe seeking signs of key ingredients for life in the galaxy.

Also hitching a ride will be the PUNCH mission (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) with four suitcase-size satellites. The quartet of craft will observe the sun’s corona as it transitions into the solar wind, which can affect power grids and communication systems on Earth.

“Not only are we launching two missions at once, but these missions cover the full breathe of the science that NASA does every day, so we’re really excited by the launch,” said Mark Clampin, acting deputy associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. 

To watch the liftoff and landing in person, the Lompoc Valley has multiple locations offering views of the launch pad. 

Those sites include the peak of Harris Grade Road, Ocean Avenue west of Lompoc’s city limits and around Vandenberg Village, including near the intersection of Moonglow and Stardust roads.

The SPHEREx and PUNCH live launch broadcast is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m. Saturday and stream live at NASA+ and NASA’s YouTube channel.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.