Overview
- A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg on Jan. 2 at 6:09 p.m. Pacific, deploying CSG‑FM3 into a sun‑synchronous orbit near 618 kilometers with signal confirmed 59 minutes after deployment.
- The mission followed scrubbed attempts on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28 caused by a hydraulic problem with launch pad hold‑down clamps.
- Falcon 9 booster B1081 flew for the 21st time and touched down at Landing Zone 4 roughly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, according to mission coverage.
- At about 2,207 kilograms, the heaviest second‑generation COSMO‑SkyMed satellite adds a more flexible X‑band SAR antenna enabling multi‑area imaging in a single pass, plus a laser reflector array for millimeter‑level georeferencing.
- The constellation now operates five satellites as Italy advances a civil‑military program built by Thales Alenia Space with Telespazio, e‑GEOS, Leonardo, and the Ministry of Defense, with a fourth second‑generation spacecraft planned for early 2027 and recent Italian payloads booked on Falcon 9 to meet tight schedules.