WASHINGTON– SpaceX launched 88 satellites on a Falcon 9 June 30 on the companys second dedicated smallsat rideshare mission.
The Falcon 9 took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:31 p.m. Eastern, more than midway into an almost hourlong launch window since of weather condition. When a private helicopter entered limited airspace minutes before the scheduled liftoff, a launch effort the day previously was scrubbed.
Implementation of the payload of 88 satellites began nearly 58 minutes after liftoff, once the upper phase carried out a second burn of its engine to position it into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of nearly 550 kilometers. The satellites, from a range of government and commercial clients, were released over half an hour.
The objective, named Transporter-2 by SpaceX, was the businesss 2nd devoted smallsat rideshare mission, after the Transporter-1 mission in January. The earlier flight brought 143 satellites, however SpaceX stated the total payload mass for Transporter-2 was greater than that of Transporter-1. The company did not disclose specific payload mass figures for either objective.
SpaceX developed its smallsat rideshare program nearly two years earlier, providing inexpensive launches on devoted Falcon 9 missions like Transporter-2 as well as on launches of its Starlink satellites. It has actually attracted substantial interest from both business and government companies.
The Transporter-2 payload manifest featured artificial aperture radar (SAR) satellites from 3 contending business: Capella, Iceye and Umbra. HawkEye 360 and Kleos, two business releasing constellations to carry out radio-frequency tracking, each had satellites on this objective, as did PlanetIQ and Spire, which collect GPS radio occultation data for use in weather forecasting.
Other business clients consisted of Astrocast and Swarm, which are each developing internet-of-things constellations, and Satellogic, which has a multi-launch arrangement with SpaceX for introducing its imaging satellites. SpaceX flew three of its own Starlink satellites on the launch, which will join 10 Starlink satellites launched into polar orbit on Transporter-1.
The Pentagons Space Development Agency (SDA) had 4 satellites on Transporter-2. Two Mandrake-2 satellites– initially intended to launch on Transporter-1 before being damaged in prelaunch processing– feature optical crosslinks and will be used to check technologies for future low Earth orbit military satellite. 2 cubesats constructed by General Atomics will likewise test optical interactions in between satellites and with drones. SDA has a fifth payload on Loft Orbitals YAM-3 satellite.
NASA flew two smallsats on Transporter-2, consisting of a pathfinder for a cubesat constellation called TROPICS, for Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats. TROPICS Pathfinder is similar to the six TROPICS satellites that Astra will launch on its Rocket 3 small launch lorry in 2022 and will make it possible for full screening of the satellite style in advance of the implementation of the constellation.
Much of the clients dealt with launch companies such as Exolaunch, d-orbit and spaceflight. That included two Sherpa pulls from Spaceflight on this launch, among which has electrical propulsion from Apollo Fusion.
Launch cadence and reusability
Transporter-2 was SpaceXs 20th Falcon 9 objective of the year, with six months yet to go. In only two years has SpaceX conducted more orbital launches: 21 in 2018 and 26 in 2020. The company is on track to shatter the record set in 2015, even with an awaited slowdown of launches in July and August.
A crucial consider that high launch cadence is reusability. The Falcon 9 booster utilized for Transporter-2 was making its eighth flight, concluding with a landing at Cape Canaverals Landing Zone 1. Its very first launch was precisely one year ago, when it launched a GPS 3 satellite, and was also used for introducing Turksat 5A and 5 Starlink missions prior to Transporter-2. Other Falcon 9 boosters have flown as much as 10 times.
While SpaceX previously set a goal of 10 flights per booster, company authorities have in current months suggested those boosters might fly more than 10 times. “Weve got boosters now that have flown 10 times, and some that are slated to fly 20 or possibly 30 times,” Elon Musk, creator and primary executive of SpaceX, said in a June 29 look at the Mobile World Congress.
“With Falcon 9, weve attained I think the most effective reusability of any rocket to date,” he said, however added that SpaceX will take reusability “to another level” with its Starship car. That automobile, whose very first orbital launch Musk now says will occur in the “next few months,” is planned to be reflown without any significant refurbishment, like an airliner.
“The Holy Grail for rocketry is rapidly reusable reliable rockets,” he said.

Two Mandrake-2 satellites– originally planned to release on Transporter-1 before being damaged in prelaunch processing– feature optical crosslinks and will be used to evaluate technologies for future low Earth orbit military satellite. In only 2 years has SpaceX carried out more orbital launches: 21 in 2018 and 26 in 2020. The company is on track to shatter the record set last year, even with an expected slowdown of launches in July and August.
A crucial aspect in that high launch cadence is reusability. Its very first launch was precisely one year earlier, when it introduced a GPS 3 satellite, and was also used for launching Turksat 5A and 5 Starlink missions prior to Transporter-2.