Tue Apr 22 00:30:00 UTC 2025: ## SpaceX Set for Third Falcon 9 Launch in 48 Hours, Carrying South Korean Military Satellite

**Cape Canaveral, FL –** SpaceX is poised to launch its third Falcon 9 rocket in less than 48 hours, marking the company’s 245th orbital launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Bandwagon-3 mission, scheduled for 8:48 p.m. EDT Monday, will deploy a diverse payload to a mid-inclination orbit. This launch represents the third in SpaceX’s rideshare program to mid-inclination orbits, following previous Bandwagon missions from Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The mission’s highlight is the launch of the fourth synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for the South Korean military’s Korea 425 Project. This satellite, developed in partnership between Hanwha Systems Corporation and Thales Alenia Space, is part of a five-satellite constellation designed for surveillance. This launch brings the project closer to its 2025 completion deadline.

Bandwagon-3 will also carry Tomorrow.io’s Tomorrow-S7 weather satellite, the ninth in its constellation, and Atmos Space Cargo’s Phoenix re-entry capsule. Phoenix 1, a pioneering mission for the German company, aims to collect data on its inflatable heat shield during atmospheric re-entry over the Atlantic Ocean. The capsule carries payloads from DLR (Germany), IDDK (Japan), and Frontier Space (UK). A change in mission trajectory necessitated a shift in ground station support and a new re-entry path over Los Angeles and South America. Atmos will use an air-to-air reconnaissance mission to track the capsule during the critical re-entry phase.

SpaceX will utilize Falcon 9 booster B1090, making its third flight, for the Bandwagon-3 mission. The booster is scheduled to land at Landing Zone 2 approximately eight minutes after liftoff. Weather conditions are forecast to be favorable at 95% chance of success. Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage of the launch.

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