SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter 12 (Patreon)

Did You Know SpaceX is launching their Falcon 9 Transporter 12 mission Tuesday morning? They are! This will be the twelfth mission of the series.

Transporter missions are dedicated rideshare launches within SpaceX's SmallSat Rideshare Program. It is aimed at providing affordable regular access to space for small operators. The missions leverage Falcon 9 to deploy an array of CubeSats, MicroSats, and SmallSats into primarily Low Earth Orbit, often in sun-synchronous configurations ideal for Earth observation.

By aggregating multiple payloads from various customers, including government agencies, educational institutions, and commercial entities, Transporter missions significantly reduce the cost of space access, making it feasible for startups, universities, and smaller organizations to participate in space activities.

Each mission typically includes satellites for a range of applications such as IoT, communications, technology demonstration, and scientific research, showcasing the versatility and global appeal of the program.

If I calculated right, there will be nearly 120 satellites on this mission, many in bulk deployment. Let's break them down.

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EXOlaunch (@Exolaunch):

· Acadia-6 (Capella Space (@capellaspace), USA): Part of the Capella Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. The improved Acadia satellites increase radar bandwidth from 500 to 700 megahertz and power by more than 40 percent compared to the Capella 2nd generation satellites. Capella is upgrading the payload downlink antenna to reduce the time between ground contact and imaging. Acadia satellites also will be equipped with Mynaric optical communications terminals, which are compatible with the interoperability standard established by the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency.

· AlAinSat-1 (3U, UAE): This is a collaboration project between NSSTC and the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS). It will perform Microwave Radiometry (MWR) measurements at L-band, vegetation analysis using a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Near-Infrared Regions (NIR) camera, and Radio-Frequency Interference (RFI) detection and classification. Capture and download images using a miniature Multispectral camera. Perform image classification using machine learning algorithms to autonomously detect images qualified for download.

· Balkan-1 (16U, Endurosat (@EnduroSat), EU): This is the pilot mission for the Balkan Constellation, a collaboration between EnduroSat, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the EU. This spacecraft is a 16U NanoSat with a multispectral camera and deep neural network processing capabilities. It will provide the EU with real-time monitoring, AI-powered detection, and revisit times. The space data will be used for environmental monitoring, humanitarian aid, maritime surveillance, and ecological support.

· Connecta IoT 5 – 8 (4x 6U, Plan-S (@WeArePlanS), Turkey): Constellation built by Plan-S to provide Internet of Things (IoT) communication. It is designed to provide reliable connectivity for IoT devices in remote areas with limited terrestrial network access, primarily through a constellation of small satellites in low Earth orbit, enabling real-time data collection and transmission across various industries like transportation, energy, and agriculture.

· FOREST-3 (8U, OroraTech (@OroraTech), Germany): Forest Observation and Recognition Experimental Smallsat Thermal Detector (FOREST is a prototype satellite by Orora Technologies (OroraTech) to detect wild fires. It is the precursor mission to a larger constellation of wild fire detection satellites. The FOREST-3 satellite is based on a 8U CubeSat.

· GESat GEN1 (16U, Absolut Sensing (@AbsolutSensing), France): A nanosatellite developed by Absolut Sensing aimed at validating the technology for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane (CH4), from space. It features hyperspectral imaging with a Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) camera based on a Fizeau interferometer to detect and quantify atmospheric methane concentrations.

· InnoCubE: The first wireless satellite in history, using short-range radio communication links instead of a data harness. The SKITH (SKIpTheHarness) technology was developed by the Institute of Space Systems in Würzburg. The satellite will include the Wall#E (Fiber Reinforced Spacecraft Walls for Energy Storage) structure, which can store electrical energy and support the satellite's structure. The satellite will host an AI agent trained on the ground to test its capabilities in orbit. The satellite will include hardware to receive signals from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to determine its position.

· TROLL (6UXL, TRL Space (@TRLspace)): TROLL is equipped with a hyperspectral camera, which allows it to photograph parts of the light spectrum invisible to the human eye, making it useful for applications such as monitoring chlorophyll in plants, pollution in rivers, and nutrients in soil. Additionally, it carries a LiDAR Laser Demonstrator payload, enhancing its capability for detailed Earth observation. TROLL's development also involves collaboration with other companies for payload integration, like ISISPACE, which provided the 6UXL platform for the mission.

· Veery-0F (1U, Care Weather (@CareWeather), USA): This is part of a constellation developed by Care Weather Technologies, aimed at providing low-cost monitoring of global ocean winds, soil moisture, and sea ice with high spatial and temporal resolution. Veery-0F specifically is intended to demonstrate measurements of ocean surface wind speed and to test deployable solar arrays.

· EDISON (6U, Space Inventor (@space_inventor), Denmark): It is designed to demonstrate innovative technologies like a new laser communication system and flexible solar panels, while also serving as a platform for hosting commercial payloads.

Satellite Express Payload Operations (SEOPS):

· SAT GUS (12U, CrunchLabs (@crunchlabs), USA): This is a satellite project initiated by Mark Rober in collaboration with CrunchLabs, T-Mobile, and Google Pixel. It's designed to capture selfies in space, enabling users globally to upload their photos to the satellite, which will then take pictures of these selfies with Earth in the background. SAT GUS uses Redwire's flight-proven camera technology to achieve this, with the images being displayed on a Google Pixel phone onboard the satellite.

ELaNa 54 (NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites):

· TechEdSat-22 (1U, University of Minnesota): From NASA Ames Research Center, focusing on technology demonstrations for CubeSats, this mission involve testing new communication systems, power management solutions, and advancements in re-entry technologies like the exo-brake, all while providing educational opportunities for students in spacecraft design, operation, and data analysis, continuing the series' tradition of blending technology development with educational outreach.

· VISORS: Virtual Super Optics Reconfigurable Swarm, is a collaborative project involving multiple universities and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It aims to create a novel approach to space imaging by using a formation of two 6U CubeSats to function as a segmented telescope. The mission's primary objective is to image the solar corona at high resolution in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum, with a focal length of 40 meters and a resolution of 0.1 arcseconds. This setup allows for unprecedented detail in observing active regions of the Sun, potentially improving our understanding of coronal thermodynamics.

Alba Block III Lite (Alba Orbital):

· HADES-R (1.5P, Hydra Space Systems, Spain): to serve as an FM repeater for global radio amateur communications and to test an experimental low-power graphene radiator payload developed by SmartIR, a spin-out from the University of Manchester's Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre.

· HYDRA-T (1.5P, Hydra Space Systems, Spain): It aims to offer commercial communication capabilities through an SDR-based FM and FSK repeater, utilizing UHF and VHF bands for downlink and uplink respectively. It also includes an educational payload

· Hype AGH (1P, AGH University, Poland): This tiny satellite, measuring 5 cm per side, aims to study light pollution with a miniaturized UV-VIS spectrometer, focusing on the transition from sodium to LED street lighting. Besides its scientific objectives, Hype AGH serves an educational purpose, providing hands-on experience in satellite technology to students while contributing to Poland's growing space sector.

· Poquito (1P, SNT University of Luxembourg):Ddeveloped by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability, and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg. This satellite is designed to test new technology for data transmission using visible light communication between the PocketQube and a smaller 'ChipSat' payload it hosts. Poquito aims to validate the concept of inter-satellite communication through LEDs, similar to Morse code, and also plans to transmit a CW (Continuous Wave) beacon to promote Luxembourg's space activities among radio amateurs.

· Skylink-1 & 2 (2x 3P, Hello Space, Turkey): These satellites are part of Hello Space's initiative to establish a constellation for providing narrowband data transfer services globally. They aim to offer IoT data services, covering applications such as tracing cargo containers, monitoring industrial equipment variables, and tracking agricultural output for efficient supply chain management.

· Prometheus-1 (1P, U. Do Minho & Instituto Superior Technico (Portugal), Carnegie Mellon, USA): It is designed to serve educational and research purposes by providing a low-cost platform for space access. It aims to demonstrate the capabilities of the Pycubed-mini platform, developed at Carnegie Mellon University, in real space conditions, focusing on educational applications for Aerospace Engineering students.

Impulse 2 LEO Express (MIRA), Impulse Space (@GoToImpulse):

· BlueBon (Tetraplex, SAT-TPX, South Korea): Developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, TetraPLEX enables efficient, on-the-spot data analysis directly within the satellite, dramatically reducing both the time and cost associated with traditional ground-based processing. TelePIX leverages the power-efficient AI processing capabilities of the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX system-on-module in a compact form factor to enhance TetraPLEX’s capabilities.

· FOSSASat TAT-O WISeSat (SEALSQ (@SEALSQcorp), USA): A next-generation satellite featuring incremental advancements in post-quantum cryptography and secure communication technologies based on IoT solutions.

· Triclops (TRL11): Triclops is a high-resolution, three-camera system specifically engineered for space applications, particularly for Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) missions. It features three cameras designed to withstand the harsh environment of space, offering detailed imaging capabilities for spacecraft operations.

· Holmes 007 (HEO Robotics): Holmes Imager is the smallest payload currently offered by HEO, developed for in-orbit NEI applications. Holmes captures resolved imagery of space objects as they fly past the host spacecraft.

D-Orbit (@D_Orbit):

· ION SCV 014 and 016: These are Satellite Carrier Vehicle (SCV) developed by Italian company D-Orbit and are a CubeSat deployers. The carriers will host several CubeSats to be deployed once in orbit, but I could not find out what they are or the customers.

Maverick Space (@maverick_space):

· LIME (3U, NOVI): This project involves a 3U CubeSat designed to demonstrate the capabilities of edge computing in space by integrating AI and ML for real-time data processing, reducing latency and enhancing satellite autonomy. LIME utilizes NOVI's SP240 On-Board Computer with an AMD Versal adaptive SoC to provide high-performance computing with low power consumption.

· Geometric 2 (Geometric Energy Corporation (@GeometricEnergy)):

• MOXY 1: This is a 6U CubeSat with payloads dedicated to demonstrating Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). It's part of a rideshare program conducted by GEC, where users can claim coordinates, brightness, color, and time of images on a satellite display screen using utility tokens (BETA, RHO, GAMMA, KAPPA, and XI). The display was planned to be integrated with blockchain technology, quoting costs in various cryptocurrencies including wrapped DOGE and Ethereum bridged MOXY.

• NOCLIP 1: Also a 6U CubeSat, it is designed by POINTBLANK LLC to provide a free virtual reality (VR) stream, offering decentralized access to the "Overview Effect" - a phenomenon experienced by astronauts in space. This satellite aims to share the experience of seeing Earth from space, potentially for educational or entertainment purposes.

Standalone Deployments:

· Lemur-3 (6, Spire @SpireGlobal), Spain): It is designed with versatile payloads like STRATOS for GPS radio occultation, SENSE for AIS ship tracking, and ADS-B for aircraft surveillance, enhancing its utility in weather forecasting, maritime, and aviation monitoring. This satellite uses ThrustMe's iodine propulsion for orbital control and deorbiting.

· MBZ Sat: This is an earth-observation satellite developed by the Mohammend Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai. It will support a wide range of applications, including mapping, environmental monitoring, navigation, infrastructure management, and disaster relief, contributing to both national and international efforts in these areas. It aims to double the image capture resolution compared to previous satellites and increase data transmission speed threefold, producing over ten times more images than the current capabilities at MBRSC.

· HCT-SAT 1: This is a collaborative project between the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the UAE. This is the first student-led satellite mission with educational objectives. It is designed for Earth observation, aiming to integrate space technology into UAE's educational framework by involving students in all aspects of satellite development. HCT-SAT 1 not only serves as a practical learning tool but also for inspiring UAE's youth in STEM and space technology.

· Elevation-1 (6U, XDLINX Space Labs (@SpaceLabsxyz), India): It's designed to be the first commercial mission demonstrating E-band communications with digital modulation in space. The satellite aims to showcase high data rate communications, with goals to achieve data rates exceeding 10 Gbps, which would be a significant advancement in satellite communication technology.

· GARAI A (Satlantis (@satlantis_), Spain): This satellite incorporates two sets of binocular imagers from the iSIM family, specifically the iSIM-90 and iSIM-170, to provide high-resolution multispectral imagery with resolutions down to 80 cm. It is designed for methane emissions detection and high-resolution Earth observation with a focus on multispectral analysis. It features video capture, polarimetry for aerosol removal, and simultaneous coverage across PAN, RGB, NIR, SWIR, and TIR spectral ranges.

· Kestrel-0A (8U, Hawkeye 360(@hawkeye360), USA): It designed to test a new satellite form factor while operating as part of the HE360 Constellation. It features an Iridium transceiver for low-rate, real-time two-way communications between the satellite and HawkEye 360's ground network via the Iridium constellation.

· Leader-S (3U, ANSER (Advanced Nanosatellite Systems for Earth observation Research) ESA): It's designed to replace the original ANSER Leader satellite, which failed to deploy after its launch. Leader-S incorporates a new S-band radio for improved communications capabilities with the ground. Its primary role is to join the existing ANSER constellation, consisting of two follower satellites, to resume the mission of monitoring water quality across Spain and Portugal.

· Centauri 7/8/9 (2x 12U, Fleet Space (@fleetspace), Australia): Satellites for Fleet Space Technologies planned 140 satellite network for global satellite connectivity to the Internet-of-Things (IoT). These satellites are built to support high data throughput with a focus on servicing heavy industries like energy, utilities, and resources. They feature onboard thrusters for orbit phasing and maintenance, ensuring they can be maneuvered into the desired mission orbit and perform station-keeping over their operational life.

· Pelican-2 (Planet, @planet), USA): It's designed to offer up to 40 cm class resolution imagery across six multispectral bands, optimized for cross-sensor analysis. Pelican-2 is equipped with the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI, which facilitates on-orbit computing to significantly reduce the time between data capture and availability for customers. This satellite is intended to provide rapid insights for applications like object detection, vegetation, and crop type classification, and disaster response.

· SuperDove Flock 4G (36x 3U, Planet): These 36 3U CubeSats are equipped with enhanced imaging technology, offering eight spectral bands for improved multispectral imagery and data collection. These satellites are designed to provide daily global coverage, supporting applications in agriculture, government intelligence, forestry, and sustainability by delivering sharp, analysis-ready data. They will work in tandem with Pelican-2.

· SkyBee-1 (Kongsberg NanoAvionics (@NanoAvionics), Germany): This is an eleven-band visible near-infrared (VNIR) instrument and a four-band thermal infrared camera, enabling it to capture detailed images at a 30-meter spatial resolution with a temperature resolution of 1.5 Kelvin. This setup allows for comprehensive spectral and thermal data collection, ideal for applications in agriculture, environmental monitoring, and urban planning, by providing insights into vegetation health, land use, and thermal anomalies with high precision.

· Ray (Inversion (@InversionSpace), USA): This craft is designed primarily as a pathfinder technology demonstrator for Inversion Space’s future reentry capsule, Arc. Ray is about twice the diameter of a standard frisbee. It will demonstrate the reentry process, including deploying a supersonic drogue parachute to slow down from Mach 1.8 to Mach 0.2, followed by a main parachute for a soft splashdown off the California coast. This is crucial for Inversion's vision of using space as a transportation layer for Earth.

· SIGI (Reflex Aerospace, (@reflexaerospace), Germany): It's a custom-built satellite with a mass of 109 kg, designed to deliver a payload to orbit for Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS).

· UzmaSAT-1 (Satellogic/Uzma, Malaysia): This is a Earth Observation (EO) satellite project between Uzma, a Malaysian energy and technology company, and Satellogic, an American company known for its sub-meter resolution EO data collection. The satellite is designed to advance geospatial capabilities in Southeast Asia, focusing on high-temporal and high-resolution satellite imagery.

· Winnebago-2 (Varda, (@VardaSpace), USA): This is the second spacecraft in Varda Space Industries' W-Series, designed for in-space manufacturing and subsequent reentry. Winnebago-2 aims to manufacture high-value pharmaceuticals or other materials in space. It will utilize Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft as its host, providing power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control for the mission.

· Lyra Block 1 (2x EchoStar Global (@EchoStar), USA): Two satellites specifically targeting IoT, M2M, and other data services through an S-band LEO constellation named EchoStar Lyra. Built by Astro Digital to provide global coverage for direct-to-device connectivity, including potential 5G NTN capabilities, utilizing EchoStar's unique worldwide S-band spectrum rights. This project is part of a 28-satellite constellation.

· Fireflies (Pixxel (@PixxelSpace): A fleet of six hyperspectral satellites, are mission-ready! Precision-engineered to decode our planet like never before, they’re set to make history as the world’s highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral satellites, transforming how space technology impacts life on Earth.

· PARUS-T1 (3U, TASA, Taiwan): Developed by the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) in collaboration with National Formosa University, this satellite is designed to continue the legacy of amateur radio communications in space. It will provide an FM Voice Cross-Band Repeater for real-time voice communication among amateur radio operators. It operates on frequencies including an uplink at 145.980 MHz (with a tone of 67 Hz) and a downlink at 435.250 MHz. Additionally, PARUS-T1 includes an APRS Digipeater for transmitting real-time position and status information, and it broadcasts telemetry on 437.850 MHz, which is accessible to the public through platforms like SatNOGS.

· RITA 3Cat 6 (Polytechnic University of Catalonia): This is a series of CubeSats developed by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), with each satellite focusing on different aspects of Earth observation, often employing GNSS-R (Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry) technology.

· SAMWISE (Stanford's Student Space Initiative (SSI), USA): It is designed to a have a sixfold increase in energy production, the inclusion of more sensors for precise orientation and health monitoring, and innovative components like reaction wheels and vacuum arc thrusters for attitude control. It will communicate via UHF and S-Band frequencies from a dedicated mission control center at Stanford.

· HORIS 1 (1U, Acme AtronOmatic (MyRadar)): Its primary objectives are to validate technologies and collect AI training data for observational models, setting the stage for the broader HORIS network. This satellite will begin MyRadar's initiative to leverage AI for real-time environmental analysis.

· Observa 1 (16U, Nara Space Technologies, South Korea): It is designed for Earth observation, featuring the Nara Space’s proprietary Observer platform with a multispectral electro-optical camera capable of 1.5 or 0.5-meter resolution imagery in color. This satellite aims to contribute to a constellation for detailed environmental and urban monitoring, offering a field of view of 14 km × 40 km.

· Vigoride-7 (VR-7) (Momentus (@momentusspace), USA): The mission aims to deploy several customer satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). They will release a target satellite and then maneuver the Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle (OSV) into proximity with this target for a demonstration of remote proximity operations. This involves testing the capabilities of the spacecraft to approach, maneuver, and potentially interact with other satellites or objects in space.

· Possibility of FFLY, QS 1, and YAM 8.

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That's all I could find. So we are looking at nearly 120 satellites on this mission. If you know of more or I have made a mistake, let us know in the comments.

SpaceX will launch the Falcon 9 Transporter 12 mission this Tuesday at 10:49 a.m. PT from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The first stage booster will return to Vandenberg and land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4).

Go SpaceX! Go Falcon 9 Transporter 12!