SpaceX Kicks Off New Ride-Sharing Mission With Launch Of 143 Satellites
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Much like ride-sharing via Uber on Earth, Elon Musk-run SpaceX has successfully launched its new cost-cutting ride-share mission with 143 small satellites — a new record for a single rocket — into space.
Called the Transporter-1 mission, the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on Sunday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
“Falcon 9 launches 143 spacecraft to orbit — the most ever deployed on a single mission — completing SpaceX’s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission,” SpaceX said in a tweet.
According to SpaceX, the ride-share program offers cheap access to space for small satellite companies, starting at $1 million for a 200-kg satellite.