SmallSats

SpaceX is carrying out its Transporter-18 mission, the latest in its series of dedicated smallsat rideshare flights that launch dozens of satellites into orbit on a single Falcon 9 rocket. The Transporter missions have become a routine workhorse for commercial, government and academic satellite operators seeking affordable access to space, and each new flight draws attention from the space community tracking payloads and booster landings.

NASA has launched a set of small satellites designed to advance science, test new technologies and refine orbital operations. The SmallSats will support research missions and demonstrate capabilities that could shape future spacecraft operations. Further details on the missions, payloads and launch vehicle were not immediately available beyond the agency's announcement.