SpaceX Plans Mysterious Falcon 9 Launch with Israeli Satellite

Cape Canaveral, FL — SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a mysterious payload for a client shunning public attention. The mission, dubbed ‘Commercial GTO-1,’ is scheduled for Sunday, July 13, at 1:04 a.m. EDT (0504 UTC).

The Falcon 9 booster, designated B1083, will be taking its 13th flight. This booster has previously supported missions such as NASA’s Crew-8 and the Polaris Dawn. Approximately 8.5 minutes post-launch, B1083 is expected to land on SpaceX’s droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions.’ If successful, it will mark the 128th landing for this vessel and the 474th overall booster landing for SpaceX.

This launch is shrouded in secrecy, a rarity for SpaceX’s commercial customers. Marine and air warnings confirm the satellite will be placed in a geostationary transfer orbit. According to reports from Walla! Communications Ltd. and several U.S. outlets, the payload is identified as Dror 1, a satellite developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

IAI announced the development of Dror 1 in January 2020, noting the satellite is designed for a lifespan of 15 years. Boaz Levy, IAI’s executive vice president and general manager of the SMS Group, expressed excitement about the satellite’s advanced technology. “Dror 1 is the most advanced communication satellite ever built in Israel, containing numerous state-of-the-art technologies,” Levy stated.

The satellite will operate in geostationary orbit, approximately 36,000 km above Earth. IAI explained that this initiative aligns with Israel’s 2018 strategy to create an independent communication system to protect national interests.

Shlomi Sudri, general manager of IAI’s Space Division, provided insights into Dror 1’s capabilities, saying, “This is a fully digital satellite that can upload applications. It can broadcast data from one antenna and receive from another.” The satellite is expected to be part of IAI’s AMOS communications series.

While this mission is cloaked in mystery, it’s not the first time SpaceX has conducted a launch with limited public details. Previous missions for the National Reconnaissance Office and the U.S. Space Force have also been kept private, often due to national security concerns.

SpaceX aims to achieve its 440th successful booster landing with this mission, using B1083 for its 18th flight. The liftoff will occur from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, targeting 9:51 p.m. EDT (0151 UTC).

In related news, a recent test-firing of a Raptor engine on a Starship test rocket in Texas has brought SpaceX closer to performing a low-altitude ‘hop’ to collect crucial data.

NASA officials have cleared SpaceX to prepare a Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon for an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station, scheduled for March 2.