In the early morning hours on March 30, SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The three MagQuest teams’ CubeSats stayed in their launch pods for a few hours before they reached orbit. More than 500 kilometers above Earth’s surface, the CubeSats were ejected into space — officially beginning their mission to collect geomagnetic data that will inform the next update to the World Magnetic Model.

Many members of the project team were there to share the moment in Lompoc, California, watching as the rocket’s sound wave rumbled through the air, then cheering and embracing as the launch succeeded. For those on the ground or watching from home, it was a tangible reminder that this milestone represents nearly seven years of work.

Watch the SpaceX video, and read more about the launch from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The road to launch was long and technically demanding, but solver teams always had one advantage: direct access to their hardware. That changes now. In space, teams can no longer swap out parts, retest components, or tweak designs. The next phase of MagQuest runs on software, high-frequency communications, and real-time troubleshooting.

Each team — CU Boulder, Spire Global and SBQuantum, and Iota Technology — has begun commissioning its satellite. This weeks-long process wakes up critical systems, stabilizes orbital position, deploys solar arrays, and runs health checks to confirm the spacecraft is ready to operate. Once completed, the satellites can begin to capture magnetic data.

In the months ahead, teams will reach the next major program milestone: delivering initial magnetic data to scientists at NGA, NOAA, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center for careful evaluation. To receive future updates on the mission and the solver teams, subscribe to the MagQuest newsletter.