WSF-M2 & BLAZE-2 (USSF-178)

Falcon 9, provided by SpaceX, is set to launch the WSF-M2 & BLAZE-2 (USSF-178) mission from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA on December 31, 2028 at 12:00 AM UTC. SpaceX will oversee the operation, ensuring the successful deployment of the payload into a Polar Orbit. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle is scheduled to deliver the payload, which is part of the Department of Defense's (DoD) next-generation operational environmental satellite system. This mission is a key component of the DoD's efforts to improve weather forecasting capabilities.

Aboard the rocket, the WSF-M2 satellite, developed by Ball Aerospace, will serve as the primary payload, leveraging a passive microwave imaging radiometer instrument and a hosted Government-furnished energetic charged particle (ECP) sensor space weather payload. The Falcon 9, provided by SpaceX, will carry this payload into a Polar Orbit, allowing the WSF-M2 satellite to take global measurements of the atmosphere and ocean surface, thereby enhancing weather forecasting capabilities over maritime regions. The BLAZE-2 launch opportunity will also be included in this mission, providing a platform for operational, research, development, and prototype small satellites from across the DoD, and will be launched by the Falcon 9 into the targeted Polar Orbit.