SpaceX Successfully Launches Bandwagon-1 Mission from Space Coast

A new era in SpaceX’s rideshare program commenced with the successful launch of the Bandwagon-1 mission from the Space Coast on Sunday evening. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 11 spacecraft to a mid-inclination orbit, took off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 7:16 p.m. This marked the 14th flight of the first-stage booster, which accomplished a recovery landing a little over eight minutes after liftoff at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. With this achievement, SpaceX has now managed to land a Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy booster for the 294th time.

SpaceX had forewarned residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties to anticipate hearing and feeling one or more sonic booms, contingent upon weather and other conditions. The Bandwagon program differs from SpaceX’s previous rideshare flights under its Transporter program, as it aims to send satellites to a 45-degree inclination at an altitude range of 341-372 miles.

The Bandwagon-1 mission is the inaugural flight of this new program, with another flight planned for later in 2024, and two more scheduled for 2025. SpaceX’s Transporter missions typically occur every four months, and rideshares are also offered on the company’s other dedicated flights. To date, SpaceX has deployed nearly 1,000 satellites for over 130 customers across all rideshare missions.

By venturing into mid-inclination orbits, SpaceX’s Bandwagon program may pose a challenge to small rocket launch service providers, such as Rocket Lab’s Electron, which specialize in targeted satellite insertion but are limited to smaller payloads. According to a statement by SpaceX, launching to a mid-inclination orbit fills in the gaps for customers aiming to expand coverage or achieve unique objectives.

Among the 11 satellites on board Bandwagon-1 is Capella Space’s Capella-14 satellite. Capella Space’s decision to switch to SpaceX for this launch follows a previous loss of its payload during a Rocket Lab launch last year. Other satellites on the mission include South Korea’s military satellites, KOREA’s 425Sat, HawkEye 360’s Clusters 8 & 9, Tyvak International’s CENTAURI-6, iQPS’s QPS-SAR-7 TSUKUYOMI-II, and Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s TSAT-1A.

The Bandwagon-1 launch marks the 24th launch from the Space Coast in 2024, with all but one being carried out by SpaceX. The lone exception was United Launch Alliance’s launch of its new Vulcan Centaur back in January. ULA is set to conduct its second launch of the year on Tuesday afternoon, launching the final Delta IV Heavy rocket from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37 on the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, scheduled for liftoff at 12:53 p.m.

Photo details: U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Sean Choquette tours the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, Oct. 18, 2023. (U.S. Space Force photo by Airman Collin Wesson)