SpaceX is preparing to launch the first in a new series of rideshare missions that it dubbed “Bandwagon.” The 11 satellites will launch onboard a
Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff is set for 7:16 p.m. EDT (2316 UTC) and the 45th Weather Squadron forecast better than 95 percent odds of favorable conditions at launch time. Spaceflight Now will have live coverage of the mission beginning about an hour prior to liftoff. Like the “Transporter” rideshare flights, the Falcon 9 rocket for the Bandwagon-1 mission will launch with a batch of satellites, which will be deployed over a period of time. However,
SpaceX has not disclosed the timing of the deployments as it typically does with Transporter missions. This is likely due to the presence of the South Korean Project 425 SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellites on board. The last time SpaceX launched a batch of these satellites, it also withheld timing information on
spacecraft deployment. In addition to the 425Sat payload, the 10 other spacecraft include the following: Acadia 4 mission patch is here! With "Born in the
USA," we reflect on our own heritage as the first US company to offer high-res #SAR and recognize the infrastructure we've built to rapidly build and launch satellites. Don't miss the @SpaceX Bandwagon-1 launch April 7, 7:16pm ET pic.twitter.com/lz0PHW99CG — Capella Space (@capellaspace) April 5, 2024 The first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1073 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launching for a 14th time on this mission. It’s previous flights included nine Starlink missions and the launch of space’s HAKUTO-R lunar lander. Following stage separation, B1073 will return to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station about seven and a half minutes into the flight. This will be the 40th landing at LZ-1 and the 294th booster landing to date. SpaceX社から公式発表が出ました！ QPS-SAR7号機「ツクヨミ-Ⅱ」はBandwagon-1で日本時間4月8日月曜日午前8時16分に打上げ予定となりました🚀 https://t.co/BIjhAWVs4E https://t.co/UdcbhhYFMA pic.twitter.com/chTfcEbgYN — iQPS / QPS研究所/人工衛星開発 (@QPS_Inc) April 5, 2024