Planet To Launch 36 SuperDove Satellites With SpaceX

We are excited to share that we plan to launch 36 of our SuperDove satellites, Flock 4y, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than January 3, 2023 at 9:56 a.m. ET (14:56 UTC). Flock 4y is planned to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-6 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

These 36 SuperDoves will replenish our current fleet of approximately 200 satellites in orbit, working to provide a continuous, and complete view of the world from above every day. Each Planet SuperDove is equipped with eight spectral-bands and improved on-orbit capacity that helps to quickly deliver sharp, analysis-ready data to our customers. The data collected by our SuperDoves allows organizations in agriculture, government – both intelligence and civilian agencies – forestry, sustainability, and other industries to make informed, timely decisions.

A select number of these SuperDoves will be adorned with artwork and quotes that celebrate the legacy of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry as a part of our collaboration with The Roddenberry Foundation’s Boldly Go Campaign. The Roddenberry Foundation launched this campaign in 2021 to celebrate Gene’s hopeful vision of humanity’s future—one of inclusion, scientific progress, and cooperation. Five of the the SuperDoves on this mission will have artwork laser-etched onto their side panels that is inspired by the over 1,500 submissions to the Boldly Go campaign, which asked the world to share what gives them hope for humanity’s future.

A Planet SuperDove with the Boldly Go Campaign artwork laser etched onto its side panels. Credit: Planet Labs PBC

“We’re excited to again work with SpaceX to bring 36 SuperDoves to orbit, our eighth overall launch with the launch provider,” said Planet’s Vice President of Launch, Mike Safyan. “Once in orbit, these satellites will join our current fleet and work to deliver cutting-edge geospatial solutions to our global customer base.”

This was a natural partnership with the Roddenberry Foundation given we share similar missions – to accelerate humanity to a more sustainable, secure and prosperous world by illuminating environmental and social change. To showcase how these missions align and how satellites – and starships – launch into space, Rod Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment and Gene’s son joined Safyan to discuss the internet’s most asked questions.

This will be our eighth overall launch with SpaceX. Since its founding, we have launched over 500 imaging satellites, more than any commercial company in history. Follow along at our Twitter account as we gear up for the launch of 36 SuperDoves.

Quelle: Planet

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Back with a sonic boom: SpaceX's first 2023 launch to feature Cape Canaveral landing

After a slight break in launch activity over the holidays, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set to host Florida's first launch and landing of the new year. A SpaceX Falcon 9 liftoff is planned for 9:56 a.m. ET Tuesday from Pad 40.

About eight and a half minutes after liftoff, the 230-foot Falcon 9 first-stage booster — flying for a record-tying 15th time — is expected to return for a landing attempt at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1 bringing with it window-rattling sonic booms.

The mission is SpaceX's sixth for its Transporter program. The rideshare missions feature payload dispensers that host many small satellites. It's a way to split costs and make launching smaller satellites more affordable. Tuesday's mission features a total of 114 customer payloads that will deploy in similar orbits over the course of an hour and a half.

Over the weekend, forecasters with the U.S. Space Force predicted an 80% chance of "go" liftoff weather conditions. The only concerns are a slight chance of clouds and wind that could be dragged in ahead of a mid-week frontal system.

"Weather concerns for the primary launch attempt are the Cumulus Cloud Rule due to a chance for fast, onshore-moving Atlantic showers, as well as Liftoff Winds," forecasters said in a weekend report. Should SpaceX need a backup launch opportunity, it would be Wednesday, Jan. 4, around the same time. Weather conditions are expected to remain nearly the same.

Launch Tuesday, January 3:

Company / Agency: SpaceX internal mission
Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
Location: Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Time: 9:56 a.m. ET
Trajectory: Southeastern
Weather: 80% "go"
Landing: Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space
About: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's sixth Transporter mission featuring 114 payloads. The flights are designed to take dozens of payloads for a variety of customers to similar orbital locations.

Quelle: Florida Today

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Watch SpaceX launch 1st rocket of 2023 with EOS SAT-1 and 113 other satellites on Tuesday

EOS SAT-1 is designed to scrutinize 386,000 miles (1 million square kilometers) daily using 11 bands of light. Examining the crop's health in this way is expected to allow farmers to better customize their care for the crops, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption and water usage, among other benefits.

The full EOS SAT fleet, when ready around 2025, will aim to look at 4.6 million square miles (12 million sq. km.) every day, which is about a third more than the equivalent area of the United States. The seven satellites, built by Dragonfly Aerospace, aim to reach 100 percent of countries "with the largest areas of farmlands and forestlands," EOSDA's statement added.

There are other satellite crops that will fly to space aboard Transporter-6 as well. For example, Spire Global plans to launch six satellites(opens in new tab) to expand its constellation monitoring maritime and aviation traffic using ADS-B technology.

Spaceflight Inc. plans to heft four Kleos spacecraft(opens in new tab) to a sun-synchronous orbit that keeps consistent lighting conditions below the fleet. Kleos examines radio frequency transmissions from space to search for "hidden and illegal activity", its website states(opens in new tab).

The Transporter series of missions are "dedicated rideshares," meaning that they feature what may be dozens of small satellites flying to space on a single Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX has not confirmed the full manifest of Transporter-6 on its website. The first mission of the series, Transporter-1, launched a record 143 satellites on Jan. 24, 2021.

The Falcon 9 rocket for Transporter-6 has a first stage that is making its 15th flight. The booster previously launched SpaceX's Transporter-2 rideshare mission, three commercial satellite flights and 10 Starlink satellite missions, SpaceX has said. If all goes well, the booster should return to a landing pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for a touchdown.

Quelle: SC

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Update: 4.01.2023.

TRANSPORTER-6 MISSION

On Tuesday, January 3 at 9:56 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched Transporter-6, SpaceX’s sixth dedicated smallsat rideshare mission mission, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was the fifteenth launch and landing of this Falcon 9 stage booster, which previously supported launch of GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34 and 10 Starlink missions.

Falcon 9 carried 114 spacecraft to orbit that were set to deploy across 82 deployments, 78 of which have been confirmed. Teams are continuing to review data for the remaining payloads, though it may take customers some time to provide additional information on the status of their payloads.

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