SpaceX plans to send 74 satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California on Saturday, March 15. The launch will take place during a 17-minute window starting at 2:39 a.m. EDT and will be livestreamed on X.
The satellites include “cubesats”, microsats, hosted payloads, a reentry capsule, and an orbital transfer vehicle carrying 11 payloads to be deployed later. This is SpaceX’s Transporter 13 mission, the 13th launch in the company’s Transporter series.
The rocket will experience two separate phases: first, it will lift off from Vandenberg at approximately 2:39 a.m., followed by the deployment of the satellites over a period of about 90 minutes. After the initial stage separation, the rocket’s first stage will return to Earth just 7.5 minutes after launch and land vertically back at Vandenberg.
This mission represents a significant milestone for SpaceX, which has successfully launched more than 1,200 payloads under its Transporter series, setting a record with its maiden launch in January 2021. The company also operates another rideshare program called Bandwagon, with two missions completed to date.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-74-satellites-transporter-13-rideshare-launch