SpaceX Transporter-1 (Rideshare bulk launch: record # of satellites)

[Dr Mordrid]

SpaceX's Transporter-1 (their Rideshare bulk launch program) goes uphill with 10 more StarLinks and dozens of other satellites, sometimes up to 100.

Rideshare = scheduled bulk launches about every 4 months. Various Earth orbits, Geostationary, even rides to the Moon.

Date: January 22 (Thursday)
Time: 0924 Eastern (1424 UT).
Booster: 1058.5
Recovery: ASDS

Here's their Rideshare page,

https://www.spacex.com/rideshare/

COST AS LOW AS $1M

$1M for 200kg to SSO with additional mass at $5k/kg. Affordable rates also available to Mid-Inclination LEO, GTO, and TLI.

[Umfriend]

Tempting

Sp Jan 22nd, do we know how many payloads it will deliver> Max weight per unit is 830Kg but now I am wondering whether the total payload can be more?

[Dr Mordrid]

Tempting

Sp Jan 22nd, do we know how many payloads it will deliver> Max weight per unit is 830Kg but now I am wondering whether the total payload can be more?

Falcon 9 can send 23,800 kg to LEO, the same as Russia's Proton, so capacity's not much of an issue. Later this year they'll be sending a 2,400 kg commercial lunar lander to TLI as a Rideshare.

[Dr Mordrid]

The current sats/launch record is 104 aboard an Indian PSLV launched in 2017.

SpaceX ✓ @SpaceX
Falcon 9 and 143 spacecraft are vertical on pad 40 ahead of tomorrow’s launch of the Transporter-1 mission, the first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission; SpaceX's 42-minute launch window opens at 9:40 a.m. and weather is 60% favorable → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/BFEnf8uru9

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1352672040164093955

[Dr Mordrid]

Stream

[Dr Mordrid]

Booster recovered

Fairings recovered

All 143 satellites away

And, the 10 Starlink satellites have the new laser inter-satellite links, which will start the process of opening service in areas where there are no ground stations. In this case, the polar regions. I'm sure DoD and the Inuit people will be pleased.