SpaceX launches Falcon 9 from Florida carrying Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission

Falcon 9 launch of the Bandwagon-3 mission

SpaceX launched its Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral on April 21, carrying three commercial payloads.

ORLANDO, Fla. - SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Bandwagon-3 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday evening.

What we know:

SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, April 21, at 8:48 p.m. ET as part of the Bandwagon-3 mission. The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The mission includes three commercial payloads: 425Sat-3 from South Korea’s ADD, Tomorrow-S7 from Tomorrow Companies Inc., and the PHOENIX re-entry capsule by Atmos Space Cargo. The Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster had previously supported the O3b mPOWER-E and Crew-10 missions. After stage separation, the booster returned to Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral.

What we don't know:

Details surrounding the objectives of the Tomorrow-S7 and PHOENIX capsule, both of which are commercial technologies, have been kept relatively under wraps.

The backstory:

The Bandwagon series is part of SpaceX’s effort to accommodate a growing number of rideshare missions, offering more flexible and cost-effective access to orbit for commercial and government entities. These missions have become increasingly popular as demand rises for launching smaller payloads without the wait times and costs associated with traditional full-scale launches. The 425Sat-3 is part of South Korea’s 425 Project, aimed at strengthening its military reconnaissance capabilities.

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