SpaceX to Launch SmallSat Rideshare Mission Transporter-9 with 113 Payloads
For the fourth time in 2023, SpaceX is preparing to launch a smallsat rideshare mission to low Earth orbit. The Transporter-9 mission is scheduled to take place during a 55-minute window starting at 10:49 a.m. PST (18:49 UTC) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch will carry a total of 113 payloads, with 90 of them being deployed directly from the Falcon 9 rocket. The remaining 23 satellites will deploy from orbital transfer vehicles at a later time.
The majority of the payloads come from Earth observation company, Planet Labs PBC. They will be sending 36 SuperDove satellites and a technology demonstration satellite called “Pelican-1” that will host Planet’s next generation of imaging sensors.
The Transporter-9 mission follows a week of other successful SpaceX launches, including a batch of Starlink satellites and a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. Additionally, the company is preparing to launch two more satellites on behalf of Luxembourg-based satellite company, SES.
The first stage booster, with tail number B1071, will return to Vandenberg Space Force Base for a touchdown at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4). This marks the 12th mission for the booster, following previous successful missions for the National Reconnaissance Office, German radar-imaging satellite SARah-1, the NASA-French ocean research satellite SWOT, and six Starlink delivery flights.
The rideshare payloads also include a range of Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites. These include GHGSat-C9 “Juba,” one of three satellites from Canadian company GHGSat, designed to monitor emissions. Also onboard is Djibouti-1A, a satellite designed to transmit data by the meteorological station of the Djibouti Center for Study and Research, and FalconSAT-X, a satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy.
The upcoming Transporter-9 mission highlights SpaceX’s continued efforts to provide affordable access to space for a multitude of payloads, from Earth observation to technology demonstrations. The company’s success in launching and deploying these rideshare missions further demonstrates their commitment to advancing space exploration and commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.