USSF-259

Mission: USSF-259

Government/Top Secret · Polar Orbit

USSF-259 is a classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite bus, based on locations of ascent rocket stage drop zones being fits with previous SDA Transport Layer launches.

Customers: US Space Force

What it put in orbit

COSPAR ID 2026-214. Orbits from the CelesTrak satellite catalogue (perigee × apogee, inclination).

Where to watch

Timeline

1. T−00:38:00 GO for Prop Load
2. T−00:35:00 Prop Load
3. T−00:35:00 Stage 1 LOX Load
4. T−00:16:00 Stage 2 LOX Load
5. T−00:07:00 Engine Chill
6. T−00:01:00 Startup
7. T−00:01:00 Tank Press
8. T−00:00:45 GO for Launch
9. T−00:00:03 Ignition
10. T+00:00:00 Liftoff
11. T+00:01:07 Max-Q
12. T+00:02:26 MECO
13. T+00:02:30 Stage 2 Separation
14. T+00:02:36 SES-1
15. T+00:02:57 Fairing Separation
16. T+00:06:03 Entry Burn Startup
17. T+00:06:24 Entry Burn Shutdown
18. T+00:07:58 Stage 1 Landing Burn
19. T+00:08:20 Stage 1 Landing

Updates

• Launch success. source
• Liftoff. source
• Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started source
• Now targeting Sep 17 at 01:07 UTC source
• Scrubbed for the day. source
• Now targeting Sep 16 at 02:18 UTC source
• Now targeting Sep 16 at 01:29 UTC source
• Added launch. source