SpaceX to launch second rideshare, pressuring small-launch industry

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  SpaceX’s second Transporter mission is scheduled to lift off at 2:56 pm EDT, carrying 88 spacecraft on a southerly trajectory from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. [credit: Trevor Mahlmann ]

SpaceX is preparing to launch its second dedicated rideshare mission for its Falcon 9 rocket, named Transporter-2, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday afternoon.

The mission will carry a total of 88 small satellites from a variety of customers, including private companies such as ICEYE and Umbra, as well as the US government’s Space Development Agency.

Part of the Department of Defense, the Space Development Agency seeks to advance the ability of the nation to get its satellites into space in a timely and cost-efficient manner. The agency is launching five satellites on the Transporter-2 mission at a cost of about $21 million.