The Falcon 9 rocket stands on the launpad in Florida ahead of liftoff for the Transporter-1 mission.
SpaceX
SpaceX launched another rocket into the record books on Sunday with the first mission of their “rideshare” program carrying dozens of small satellites into space.
The Falcon 9 rocket, which took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, took 143 spacecraft into orbit – a new global record for most spacecraft launched at the same time, and exceeding the mark of 104 set by Indian rocket PSLV in February 2017.
Called Transporter-1, the SpaceX mission was the first for the company’s SmallSat Rideshare program.
While SpaceX announces the release of Falcon 9 dedicated to a single satellite for $ 62 million, the company ‘s Rideshare SmallSat offerings smaller satellites – as small as mailbox size – will be an option for orbit for as many as possible. as little as $ 1 million for 200 kilograms.
Such division missions have become increasingly common in the space industry, with international competitors such as Vega Arianespace looking to bid for a share of the growing market of small satellites.
Rideshare missions offer a different option for low-cost satellites looking for a trip to orbit, with smaller rockets like Rocket Lab’s Electron offering a more adaptive approach.
“SpaceX offers a competitive sharing option, largely benefiting from its Starlink offerings,” Bryce Space and Technology senior analyst Phil Smith told CNBC.
SpaceX service isn’t entirely on-demand, Smith said, but companies can pay a base price for its launch based on their schedule, rather than the main customer list.
“There’s a very reliable‘ bus route ’available,” Smith said of SpaceX, “but I believe one could compare companies like Rocket Lab and Virgin Orbit as on-call charges that get your satellite where you are. want it as soon as possible. ”
The company Elon Musk launched 133 satellites for a wide variety of government and private customers, as well as 10 of their own Starlink satellites.
SpaceX customers on board Transporter-1 include: Planet Labs, Exolaunch, D-Orbit, Kepler Communications, Spaceflight Inc, Nanoracks, NASA and Capella Space, as well as iQPS, Orbital Loft, Spire Global, ICEYE, HawkEye 360 , Astrocast, and the University of South Florida Institute of Applied Engineering.
In particular, the 10 Starlink satellites on board this mission are the first in the console to be sent to polar orbit, as the company continues to expand public access to the network their satellite internet. These 10 satellites were added after Momentus took its first Vigoride mission off the Transporter-1 release earlier this month. Momentus said more time was needed for regulatory approval as a reason for the change.
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