SpaceX F9 : SpaceX Transporter-1 Rideshare : 24 Jan 2021 (15:00 UTC)

[Jansen]

Kepler Communications Announces Successful Launch of 8 New GEN1 Satellites 
TORONTO, ONTARIO, January 24th, 2021 – Kepler Communications welcomed eight new satellites into their constellation today, further expanding the active constellation to 13 satellites in total.  These eight satellites, KEPLER-8 through KEPLER-15, were successfully launched via SpaceX’s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission at approximately 10:00 AM EDT this morning. Once fully operational within the constellation these will significantly increase the capacity of Kepler’s Global Data Services offering. 
 
Kepler’s GEN 1 satellites were assembled at Kepler’s facility in Toronto. The GEN1 platform represents an evolution beyond Kepler’s pathfinder satellites, with an increase to a 6U-XL satellite system.  The increased size accommodates significant technology enhancements, including additional power and antenna capabilities that allows the support of both Ku and narrowband spectrum from a single satellite.  This multi-spectrum support is achieved with Kepler’s proprietary Software Defined Radio (SDR) which has been proven onboard the five satellites already on orbit.   
 
Mina Mitry, CEO of Kepler Communications said of the GEN1 satellite launch, “We're excited to continue our network deployment in response to the overwhelming global demand for our network capacity. As our network continues to grow, we move closer to recognizing Kepler's vision of providing connectivity on and off the surface of the Earth."
 
Wen Cheng Chong, CTO of Kepler Communications added, “The launch of 8 GEN1 satellites on the Falcon 9 merely a few months after the launch of 2 GEN1 pathfinder satellites clearly demonstrates Kepler’s ability to 10x our capability in a short period of time; practically unheard of for a company of our size. This showcases the ingenuity and resourcefulness of our Engineering team and the company at large. We’re well on our way to recognizing Kepler’s vision of providing the internet in space.”
 
Kepler’s launch plans include several additional launches in 2021, with launches planned for the first half of 2021 in March and June, which will add additional GEN1 satellites to the Kepler constellation.  As with today’s launch, these satellites will service the growing customer demand for Global Data Services and increase our ability to provide an industry leading service.

[scr00chy]

SpaceX referred to this launch as the first dedicated rideshare.
Wasn't "Sun Synch Express A" the first?

Today was the first dedicated mission of SpaceX's Smallsat Rideshare Program where SpaceX handles the integration of payloads and handles the customers. Sun Synch Express (SSO-A) was organized by Spaceflight and SpaceX only provided a launch service.

[gongora]

Another observation:
SpaceX referred to this launch as the first dedicated rideshare.
Wasn't "Sun Synch Express A" the first?
My tabulation has that announced  in early 2017 for an October 2017 launch. 
It actually launched December 3, 2019.
At the same time SpaceX announced "Sun Synch Express -B" for Q4 2018.
My entry for the name keeps changing, becoming "Smallsat Rideshare Mission 1" in 12/2019 and "Transporter-1" a year later.
Glad to see it finally launched.

Sun Synch Express/SSO-A was not a SpaceX company mission.  Spaceflight Inc. bought the launch and put together the payload stack.  SSO-B would have been similar if it had happened.  Transporter-1 is not a new name for SSO-B.  It's a completely different program.  SpaceX is running their own rideshare and putting together their own payload stack.

[Comga]

Beautiful contrast between what I assume is the Continental Shelf and the deep Atlantic. Especially around T+7:00

That was more likely to be the Bahamas.
Check the direction of motion. 
The lighter area appears to be off to the east of the trajectory.
The deep water appears to be closer to the Florida shore.
(It is not clear to me whether the Bahamas are part of the "Continental Shelf" but the dark blue is not the wide open part of the "deep Atlantic".)

[kevinof]

Close to the Bahamas on the north and west it goes from 20 meters to 4000 in a couple of boat lengths. There is another trench south of the chain.

Beautiful contrast between what I assume is the Continental Shelf and the deep Atlantic. Especially around T+7:00

That was more likely to be the Bahamas.
Check the direction of motion. 
The lighter area appears to be off to the east of the trajectory.
The deep water appears to be closer to the Florida shore.
(It is not clear to me whether the Bahamas are part of the "Continental Shelf" but the dark blue is not the wide open part of the "deep Atlantic".)

[punder]

Beautiful contrast between what I assume is the Continental Shelf and the deep Atlantic. Especially around T+7:00

That was more likely to be the Bahamas.
Check the direction of motion. 
The lighter area appears to be off to the east of the trajectory.
The deep water appears to be closer to the Florida shore.
(It is not clear to me whether the Bahamas are part of the "Continental Shelf" but the dark blue is not the wide open part of the "deep Atlantic".)

Yep, I amended my post after seeing an earlier post by OneSpeed. I haven’t been paying attention—thought the flight was going up the Eastern Seaboard, not south! SpaceX’s confusing trajectory graphics didn’t help. 

[Comga]

Another observation:
SpaceX referred to this launch as the first dedicated rideshare.
Wasn't "Sun Synch Express A" the first?
My tabulation has that announced  in early 2017 for an October 2017 launch. 
It actually launched December 3, 2019.
At the same time SpaceX announced "Sun Synch Express -B" for Q4 2018.
My entry for the name keeps changing, becoming "Smallsat Rideshare Mission 1" in 12/2019 and "Transporter-1" a year later.
Glad to see it finally launched.

Sun Synch Express/SSO-A was not a SpaceX company mission.  Spaceflight Inc. bought the launch and put together the payload stack.  SSO-B would have been similar if it had happened.  Transporter-1 is not a new name for SSO-B.  It's a completely different program.  SpaceX is running their own rideshare and putting together their own payload stack.

Got it.
It's the first dedicated rideshare that SpaceX has integrated, rather than flying Spaceflight's stack.
When did SSO-B disappear from the Manifest?
It can be found for the first few pages but then is gone. 
The change note must be on one of the older Manifest threads.
Is it cancelled or renamed?
There were also entries for SSO-C and SSO-D.

[niwax]

Another observation:
SpaceX referred to this launch as the first dedicated rideshare.
Wasn't "Sun Synch Express A" the first?
My tabulation has that announced  in early 2017 for an October 2017 launch. 
It actually launched December 3, 2019.
At the same time SpaceX announced "Sun Synch Express -B" for Q4 2018.
My entry for the name keeps changing, becoming "Smallsat Rideshare Mission 1" in 12/2019 and "Transporter-1" a year later.
Glad to see it finally launched.

Sun Synch Express/SSO-A was not a SpaceX company mission.  Spaceflight Inc. bought the launch and put together the payload stack.  SSO-B would have been similar if it had happened.  Transporter-1 is not a new name for SSO-B.  It's a completely different program.  SpaceX is running their own rideshare and putting together their own payload stack.

Got it.
It's the first dedicated rideshare that SpaceX has integrated, rather than flying Spaceflight's stack.
When did SSO-B disappear from the Manifest?
It can be found for the first few pages but then is gone. 
The change note must be on one of the older Manifest threads.
Is it cancelled or renamed?
There were also entries for SSO-C and SSO-D.

Someone from Spaceflight remarked that getting all those payloads for SSO-A in order was a massive pain they'd rather not go through again. I don't know how official that statement was, but they don't sound enthusiastic about filling an entire F9.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

SpaceX launch photos by Ben Cooper

[steveleach]

Was that a fairing half being overtaken by the booster at T+06:11 ?

[Rekt1971]

Was that a fairing half being overtaken by the booster at T+06:11 ?

No, it was ice. It's always ice.

[gongora]

When did SSO-B disappear from the Manifest?
It can be found for the first few pages but then is gone. 
The change note must be on one of the older Manifest threads.
Is it cancelled or renamed?
There were also entries for SSO-C and SSO-D.

It looks like I removed all of those in mid-2018.  They're cancelled (it's not clear whether they were ever really under contract.)

[baldusi]

Another observation:
SpaceX referred to this launch as the first dedicated rideshare.
Wasn't "Sun Synch Express A" the first?
My tabulation has that announced  in early 2017 for an October 2017 launch. 
It actually launched December 3, 2019.
At the same time SpaceX announced "Sun Synch Express -B" for Q4 2018.
My entry for the name keeps changing, becoming "Smallsat Rideshare Mission 1" in 12/2019 and "Transporter-1" a year later.
Glad to see it finally launched.

Sun Synch Express/SSO-A was not a SpaceX company mission.  Spaceflight Inc. bought the launch and put together the payload stack.  SSO-B would have been similar if it had happened.  Transporter-1 is not a new name for SSO-B.  It's a completely different program.  SpaceX is running their own rideshare and putting together their own payload stack.

Got it.
It's the first dedicated rideshare that SpaceX has integrated, rather than flying Spaceflight's stack.
When did SSO-B disappear from the Manifest?
It can be found for the first few pages but then is gone. 
The change note must be on one of the older Manifest threads.
Is it cancelled or renamed?
There were also entries for SSO-C and SSO-D.

Someone from Spaceflight remarked that getting all those payloads for SSO-A in order was a massive pain they'd rather not go through again. I don't know how official that statement was, but they don't sound enthusiastic about filling an entire F9.

AIUI, this is a program by SpaceX, where you launch when you are ready, and launches are done "on schedule". So if you miss one launch, you go to the next one. I would guess that SSO-A was a such a hassle because the "had" to get all those birds ready and integrated. A stress on the customer and a stress on the launch provider. And I wouldn't want to be the integrator who was in the middle.
I wouldn't be surprised if Transporter program grew out of that experience. Add Stalink to fill any payload gap and customers like Satellogic and PlanetLabs and you just launch whatever is ready by launch time. And missing a launch is not the end of the world since you already have another opportunity a few months later.

[gongora]

I think this must be the one missing payload.  Looks to be a 3U cubesat, which would fill the last 3U slot on the Kepler port.
(h/t to Jeff Foust for retweeting this)

https://twitter.com/HiberGlobal/status/1353434090486300672

It's official. Hiber Four, the first satellite of our newest generation, has left planet Earth and is sending signals back to Amsterdam. Thanks @SpaceX for the lift. We're so proud of this small box that's floating through space.

[gongora]

[scr00chy]

Awesome, can't wait to repeat this headache in 5 months with Transporter-2!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/zshauladventure/status/1353447018262274049

Booster 1058 leaving the pad for its 5th time!
(Make sure to click to open

📷: Me - @NextHorizonsSF

[Thorny]

Launch view from Rockledge...

[OneSpeed]

Here is a comparison between the telemetry from the two polar missions that SpaceX have launched from the cape, SAOCOM-1B and Transporter-1.

Some differences are:

1. Although the booster profiles are initially similar, Transporter-1 was less lofted, and being an ASDS landing, burnt 11 seconds longer.
2. The reduced acceleration due to the SAOCOM-1B second stage dogleg was clearly visible from 155 to 211s, however, the Transporter-1 S2 burn is much more conventional.
3. Although the Mission Control Audio webcast did not display the flight paths this time, there were a couple of short animations in the main webcast. The first at MECO shows that my prediction for the booster ground track was quite accurate, but the second at SECO shows that the S2 dogleg was spread over the entire burn. This is perhaps not the most efficient approach, but given that the Transporter-1 booster burn contributed more plane change than the SAOCOM-1B booster, it was sufficient, and avoided overflight of Miami.

[yg1968]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1353392993613574146

Gerst without the mask:

https://twitter.com/DutchSpace/status/1353366023664263169