SpaceX successfully launched its fourth Bandwagon series rideshare mission on November 2nd, deploying a variety of payloads into mid-inclination orbits. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:09 a.m. EDT, carrying payloads that included technology demonstration satellites for future space stations and even orbital data centers.
The mission, dubbed Bandwagon-4 by SpaceX, released all 18 payloads into low Earth orbit approximately 75 minutes after launch. This marks the fourth installment in the Bandwagon series, designed to cater to customers seeking mid-inclination orbits, a demand second only to sun-synchronous orbits, which are served by the Transporter rideshare launches. SpaceX introduced the Bandwagon series in 2023 to address this market need.
Continuing the trend, the largest payload on Bandwagon-4 was a reconnaissance satellite for South Korea’s Project 425 program. According to the South Korean defense ministry, this satellite, similar to its predecessors, is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload.
Among the 17 other satellites onboard was Haven-Demo, a 500-kilogram spacecraft developed by Vast, a company focused on commercial space station development. Haven-Demo is designed to test critical technologies for Vast's future stations, including Haven-1, slated for launch next year. "It’s going to be testing out key systems related to Haven-1," said Rich Leshner, vice president of government relations at Vast, during an Oct. 29 panel at the American Astronautical Society’s von Braun Space Exploration Symposium. These technologies encompass flight computers, avionics, communications systems, thrusters, and solar arrays.
"We get a chance to test that at a relatively low investment," noted Max Haot, chief executive of Vast, at the Global Aerospace Summit in September. He estimated the cost of Haven-Demo at $10 million, significantly less than the $1 billion price tag for Haven-1.
The Bandwagon-4 mission featured a mix of both new and returning customers. Tomorrow.io, a company operating a constellation of commercial weather satellites, launched two spacecraft on this mission. Iceye, known for its SAR satellites, launched three satellites that will join the “Foresight Constellation” for Emirati company Space42.
A notable newcomer was Starcloud, which deployed its Starcloud-1 satellite on Bandwagon-4. The company's objective is to establish data centers in orbit. “It is the first time that anyone has tried to launch an AI data center to space,” said Philip Johnston, chief executive and co-founder of Starcloud, during a presentation at an investment conference in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 30. The 60-kilogram spacecraft carries an advanced Nvidia processor and will run artificial intelligence models, including a version of Google’s Gemini, he explained. Starcloud announced on Oct. 30 a collaboration with Rendezvous Robotics to explore the use of self-assembling spacecraft technology, developed by Rendezvous, on future Starcloud missions. Starcloud envisions future spacecraft requiring solar panels and radiators spanning several kilometers.