SpaceX Mission Deploys Record Number of Satellites in Its First in-House Rideshare Mission

 SpaceX has recently launched a batch of satellites on a single rocket in its record-setting mission. It has launched 143 satellites to space, initiating the process from Florida a couple of days ago. The satellites have been launched under the new cost-cutting SmallSat Rideshare Program that has broken all the records of launching the most number of satellites into space in a go. Deploying 143 satellites in a single rocket launch mission, SpaceX has set another record in the books. The previous record was set by India in 2017 with 104 satellites.

SpaceX, the privately-owned space transportation organization, launched its satellites as a part of its program Smallsat Rideshare. The mission departed at 10 a.m. (ET), the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 24.

The Transporter-1 mission of SpaceX carried out 133 government and commercial spacecraft (including microsats, CubeSats, orbital transfer vehicles, and more) along with 10 Starlink satellites for the IfS (internet-from-space) initiative of SpaceX. Among the satellites that were carried out, the 10 Starlink satellites appeared to be the first in the rapidly growing constellation deploying to a polar orbit.

The first-stage booster that served several SpaceX missions, the ANALYSIS-II, last summer’s first-ever historic crewed test flight of Crew Dragon capsule, a Starlink mission, and a mission of resupply to the International Space Station — landed safely on Earth while touching down the “Off Course I Still Love You” droneship that kept waiting there in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX also posted the landing video for the same; however, it was a bit choppy.

Elon Musk, SpaceX boss, tweeted: “Launching many small satellites for a wide range of customers tomorrow. Excited about offering low-cost access to orbit for small companies!” This tweet came prior to Sunday’s launch when the mission got delayed by a day due to the poor weather conditions.

SpaceX initiated the process of accepting bookings for its rocket-based rideshare business back in 2020. It offered mini-satellite deployment opportunities for even as little as $1 million, that was a fraction of billions of dollars that needs to be invested if the company books an entire launch.

With an expanding market of small-satellite rideshare, several private companies like the California-based Rocket Lab, Virgin Orbit, and more, are competing for customers.

SpaceX has involved itself in a number of pies; however, now its attention is directing towards another flight test of its second stage booster Starship and next-gen spacecraft, on higher altitudes. The testing can take place this week. Everything under the first test testing in December 2020 had gone in accordance with the plan set until the unprecedented situation arose, where the rocket landed and exploded into various balls of flame. The motive of using them is to use the first-stage Super Heavy rocket and Starship is to form a vehicle that can lift a good amount of weight. It would probably be used for transporting passengers and cargo to the moon and eventually to Mars.

Source: SpaceX Mission