Overview
- The fifth synthetic aperture radar spacecraft lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral at 1:09 a.m. U.S. time, reached orbit about 14 minutes later, and made stable contact with a ground station roughly an hour after launch.
- The mission completes the decade-long 425 Project, which fields four radar satellites and one electro‑optical/infrared satellite for complementary sensing.
- Satellites 1–3 are fully integrated, No. 4 remains under operational evaluation, and the newly launched unit will undergo testing before entering full service.
- Defense officials report the SAR payloads can resolve objects near 30 centimeters, enabling detailed observation regardless of weather or lighting conditions.
- The constellation bolsters the military’s Kill Chain posture and reduces reliance on U.S. imagery, with plans for additional small satellites and domestic launch infrastructure.