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Tuesday, September 29, 2026 · UTC
Launches & Rockets

Google satellite launch delayed to October 1 due to missing license

The ASCENT Dual Mode mission, carrying Google's Project Suncatcher prototype, is targeted for October 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Senior Space Correspondent
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Stands on 6 placed sources from 4 publishers.
Google's Project Suncatcher experimental orbital data center prototype satellite is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on October 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. [2] The mission, officially named ASCENT Dual Mode, will deploy a satellite equipped with Google's Tensor Processing Unit AI hardware. [3] SpaceX has shifted most Falcon 9 launch operations to Vandenberg while focusing Cape Canaveral operations on Starship development. [1] This launch is scheduled to be the sixth and final Falcon 9 flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in September. [5] However, SpaceX does not currently hold the revised FAA launch license required for this orbital flight attempt. [6] The company previously stacked Starship Ship 41 and Booster 21 at the launch site as of early morning 2024-09-23. [4]
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What this stands on
  1. SpaceX has shifted most Falcon 9 launch operations to Vandenberg while focusing Cape Canaveral operations on Starship development. · spaceflightnow.com
  2. Google will launch its Project Suncatcher experimental orbital data center prototype satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on October 1. · Futurism
  3. Google will launch a satellite equipped with its Tensor Processing Unit AI hardware aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 2024-10-01. · theverge.com
  4. As of early morning 2024-09-23, SpaceX had stacked Starship Ship 41 and Booster 21 at the launch site. · NASASpaceFlight.com
  5. This launch will be the sixth and final Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in September. · spaceflightnow.com
  6. SpaceX does not currently hold the revised FAA launch license required for this orbital flight attempt. · NASASpaceFlight.com
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