SpaceX successfully launched Transporter-4
The SpaceX Rocket launched with 40 satellites from International partners to Orbit
Today. 01 April 2022, at 16:24:16.974 UTC [12:24:16.974 EDT] The SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.2 FT Block 5 rocket launched Transporter-4, the fourth dedicated mission of the company's SmallSat Rideshare Program with 40 small satellites, from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) in Space Force Station (CCSFS) Cape Canaveral, Florida,
On This Mission, The Falcon 9's first stage reached the peak apogee of 233 km for the 1st time and landed on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which was stationed 532 km Downrange from Cape Canaveral in the Atlantic Ocean, towed by Finn Falgout; The recovery of the payload fairing shells was carried out at 604 km, by the support vessel 'Bob'. This marks the 112th landing overall and the 38th consecutive successful landing of a Falcon Booster.
Transporter-4 was SpaceX’s 12th overall flight, second Transporter mission, and the fifth launch from SLC-40 of the year 2022
Previously, the first-stage B1061 “core” launched six missions, one Starlink, the first and second operational missions of American astronauts to the International Space Station by SpaceX; also launched the Sirius Radio SXM-8 satellite, the Cargo Dragon 2 CRS-23 resupply mission to the ISS and NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission. After this successful flight, it was definitively given the designation “B1061.7”.
Payload Manifest
The 40 payloads are mounted on top of the second rocket stage, and SpaceX shared a photograph of the interior of the fairing that shows the payloads arranged in a special configuration on the adapter with ESPA (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Port Adapter) ring technology.
ESPA allows dozens of small spacecraft to be connected to the payload adapter to get the most out of a rocket launch in a single mission, as illustrated below. The Payload Host Companies also have the option of using custom ESPA satellite adapters.
