SpaceX Launches 30 Payloads in Second Bandwagon Mission
SpaceX launches the Bandwagon-2 mission from California on Dec. 21. Photo: SpaceX
SpaceX launched 30 payloads to mid-inclination orbit on Saturday in the Bandwagon-2 rideshare mission. The Falcon 9 mission lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3:34 a.m. PT.
This was the second Bandwagon mission, which launches to mid-inclination orbit while the regular Transporter rideshare missions launch to a Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
The mission launched payloads for KOREA ADD, Arrow Science and Technology, Maverick Space Systems, Tomorrow Companies Inc., and Think Orbital.
Rideshare integrator Exolaunch deployed 22 customer satellites on the mission using its CarboNIX separation rings and EXOpod Nova deployers. This included two satellites for Iceye; three satellites for HawkEye 360 built by Space Flight Laboratory; True Anomaly; EnduroSat; Sidus Space; and other customers.
SpaceX was set to follow up the Bandwagon mission with a dedicated mission for Astranis, but scrubbed a launch attempt on Saturday with last-second engine abort. SpaceX has not set a new launch date for Astranis yet.
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