SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched two more Maxar Intelligence imaging satellites. Maxar’s third and fourth WorldView Legion satellites launched into mid-inclination orbit.

The mission, called Maxar-2, lifted off at 9 a.m. ET on Aug. 15. It is the second of three planned launches to deliver the company’s constellation of six WorldView Legion high-resolution imaging satellites. A Falcon 9 rocket launched the first two on May 2. The first images from those satellites were released in July.

Maxar-2 marks SpaceX’s 79th launch of 2024 and the 16th flight of the Falcon 9 first stage. About two hours after liftoff, SpaceX confirmed that both Maxar-2 satellites had been successfully placed into orbit.

These are the third and fourth WorldView Legion satellites and are the first Maxar satellites launched into mid-inclination orbit. This allows them to observe areas between 45 degrees north and 45 degrees south latitude. This inclination provides for frequent revisits over a wide range of latitudes. The first two WorldView Legion satellites are in near-polar orbit.

WorldView Legion is an electro-optical imaging satellite for collecting images and mapping the planet. Maxar Intelligence is the primary provider of commercial electro-optical imagery to the U.S. government.

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