SpaceX shared this panoramic view of a Falcon 9 awaiting launch.
SpaceX
SpaceX will transform one of its Falcon 9 rockets into the space equivalent of a crowded Uber when launching its Transporter-1 shared transport mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday.
The payload for this mission includes a cornucopia of small government satellites and commercial entities, along with 10 from SpaceX itself Starlink broadband satellites.
We learned on Thursday that the cargo will include 48 SuperDove satellites for Planet Labs, reportedly bringing the total to 133 record satellites in a single launch.
SpaceX itself has not yet confirmed the official number of satellites in the payload of the shared tour. There were some last-minute changes after two DARPA satellites were accidentally damaged earlier this month at a processing facility. Starlink satellites were also a last-minute addition. The payload includes several small spaceships from Nanoracks and more from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the US Department of Defense and many others.
The launch was originally scheduled for December, but has been delayed a few times.
The Falcon 9 rocket will make its fifth flight and is due to land on a droneship parked in the Atlantic not long after the flight. SpaceX will also likely try to recover the fairing, or nose cone, a move that is becoming a more routine part of each mission.
The launch is scheduled for 6:40 am Pacific time (9:40 am eastern time). The entire mission will be broadcast live as usual by SpaceX. You can follow below starting about ten minutes before launch.
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