BandWagon-5 Launched

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ~

SPACEX BANDWAGON – 5

SpaceX stuffed over 30 satellites from various entities under the fairing of a Falcon 9 rocket which launched this morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fl from SLC # 40 @ 7:04 AM. It had been delayed earlier this week due to weather that was outside safety margins for launch & landing.

First stage Booster B1085 left for the 19th time landing on one of the SpaceX autonomous barges in the general area of the Bahamas to the south east.

For those unfamiliar with what a “BandWagon” is, various commercial vendors, possibly military agencies & or educational sites may have a small satellite needed to be placed in orbit. As the small satellite would not be cost effective to launch by itself, it is grouped with a number of other small satellites, with each organization splitting costs.

More financial savings can be recognized when the rocket is launched in an easterly trajectory working with the earth’s rotation. With the rocket going in the same direction as the rotation, less fuel is used, providing the agencies less cost.

There is a similar program known as Transporter, which launches to sun-synchronous orbits but at much different altitudes as well as costs.

Article: Graham Smith/WRS

Image: Michael Seeley/WRS

#SpaceX #falcon9 #capecanaveralspaceforcestation #sldelta45 #ussf_ssc #usspaceforce  #launch #nasakennedy # nasaadmin #nasa #spacecoastdaily @emrekelly