December 29, 2024 – Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched four Astranis Block 2 micro-satellites, including AGILA, the Philippines’ inaugural dedicated internet satellite, into geosynchronous transfer orbit today.
The AGILA satellite, operated by Orbits Satellite Corporation under President Atty. Augusto Baculio, aims to provide broadband access to approximately two million people across 5,000 remote and rural communities.

“This milestone bridges the digital divide, empowering rural communities through connectivity,” Atty. Baculio stated. “Orbits Satellite Corporation is proud to bring world-class internet services to the Philippines.”
The Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean, marking Booster B1083’s seventh successful flight.

Launch Details

1. Date: December 29, 2024
2. Time: 12:00 a.m. ET (0500 UTC, 06:00 CET)
3. Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
4. Target Orbit: Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

Satellite Details

1. Operator: Astranis
2. Satellites: 4 MicroGEO satellites
3. Purpose: Broadband access, aviation and maritime connectivity, and replacement services

Notable Payloads

1. AGILA (Orbits Corp): Philippines’ first dedicated internet satellite, providing broadband access.
2. Anuvu: Two satellites for in-flight and maritime connectivity.
3. Arcturus Replacement: Temporary satellite services.

Launch Vehicle

1. Falcon 9 (Booster B1083)
2. Flight Number: 7
3. Previous Flights: Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31, three Starlink missions
4. Landing Site: A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship

Timeline Highlights

1. Liftoff: 12:00 a.m. ET
2. Max Q: 1 minute 14 seconds
3. Stage separation: 2 minutes 31 seconds
4. Fairing separation: 3 minutes 21 seconds
5. AGILA deployment: 33 minutes 45 seconds