CSG-3

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

02:09:16

Saturday January 3, 2026

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Mission Details

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CSG-3

(COSMO-SkyMed FM3)

Wiki

COSMO-SkyMed second generation (Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin observation) or CSG is an Earth observation program of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to replace the first generation COSMO-SkyMed system. For the second generation, the COSMO-SkyMed constellation has been reduced from four to two spacecraft. The satellites are improved versions of the original design. They utilize an improved version of the Prima Bus. The CSG-SAR (COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation Synthetic Aperture Radar) is also an improved version of the first-generation X-band SAR system. The contract was signed in September 2015. The satellites will operate in the same circular sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit as the first-generation satellites with a nominal altitude of 619 km and an inclination of 97.86º. The satellites operate in the same orbital plane.

Manufacturer: Thales Alenia Space

Operator: ASI

Sun-Synchronous Orbit

1 Payload

2,207 kilograms

Rocket

Active
Falcon 9 Block 5

Active Since 2018

SpaceX logo

Agency

SpaceX

Price

$69.75 million

Rocket

Diameter: 3.7m

Height: 70m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 22,800 kg

GTO: 8,300 kg

Liftoff Thrust

7,607 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 5.2m

Height: 13m

Stages

2

Launch Site

General Trajectory

SE

SW

Launching

South

SLC-4E

Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

Fastest Turnaround

2 days 10 hours

Stats

Falcon 9


584th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2026

SpaceX


611th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2026

2026


1st

Orbital launch attempt