SpaceX delivers 131 smallsats to their designated orbital slots
On a beautiful Tuesday California morning, January 14th, at 11:09 a.m. PT, with blue skies and the ocean and beach in the background, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched the Transporter-12 mission to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This was the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which had previously launched NROL-126. We offer a look at the payloads that were launched aboard this successful mission.
Absolut Sensing
Absolut Sensing’s GESat is an E-band spectrum satellite constellation designed to measure industrial pollution and provide reliable and accurate global measurements of methane emissions on industrial sites and Earth.
Near real-time data collection and exploitation is offered and the company ensures reliable and rigorous data feedback for the civil, military and scientific fields. Miniaturized remote sensing systems are integrated with smallsat platforms to provide planetary intelligence services.
With an extremely thin beam, E-band enhances data security, as well. Bus was developed by Nanoavionics proposal of effective solutions adapted to the needs of our customers, especially in the field of energy transition.
AlainSat-1
AlainSat-1 is a collaboration project between the United Arab Republic’s National Space Science and Technology Center and the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) in the form of a GRSS Student Grand Challenge to allow student teams to develop Earth Observation payloads for smallsats and to then test them on-orbit.
This 3U cubesat slotted at SSO is scheduled to perform Microwave Radiometry (MWR) measurements at L-band, engage in vegetation analysis using a Normalized Differece Vegetation Index (NDVI), Near-Infrared Regions (MIR) camera, and RFI detectionand classification. Images will be captured and then downloaded using a miniature multispectral camera and, using Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, to autonomously detect images that are qualified for download.
AlbaOrbital
AlbaOrbital’s AlbaPod 6P (PocketCube) is a deployer for 6P PocketQube satellites that possess a maximum mass of 250 grams, COTS components for electronics, and is manufactured in a cube shape with sides that are 5 cm in size. Alba Launch clusters use Albapod deployers. These come in two varieties, 6p and 96p. Albapod uses a flight proven release mechanism to ensure performance on-orbit.
Almagest
Almagest’s ELEVATION-1 smallsat mission is to test one of the world’s first miniaturized, space-grade, E-band communication payloads, and was developed by XDLINX Space Labs. Sent to orbita via D-Orbit’s ION smallsat carrier, the Antaris Cloud Platform and SatOS power the craft.
Data obtained by this satellite will be incorporated tino advanced propogation models for the firm’s Ultra-High Throughput (UHTS) constellaton. The tech incorporation will occur in phases for the company’s TWINSTAR mission during 2026 and 2027.
As XDLINX stated, the E-Band spectrum, ranging from 71 to 76 and 81 to 86 GHz, respectively, represents a significant leap in the capabilities of wireless communication. The E-Band, with higher frequency range, offers greater bandwidth, enabling higher data transfer speeds and enhanced communication performance from space to Earth.
Argotech
Argotech’s HEO (Hawk for Earth Observation) is the constellation developed by the company as part of the IRIDE program, the largest Earth observation mega constellation in Europe and funded by ESA.
Designed as a new generation of the award-winning HAWK platform, the satellites of the HEO constellation bring state-of-the-art space technology “Made in Argotec” to serve our planet, its future and that of generations to come.
ArkEdge Space
ArkEdge Space’s 6U AE1C and AE1D smallsats were deployed to orbit via the ISILaunch deployer. These are compact spacecraft, with dimensions of 10cm x 20cm x 30cm, these microsatellites are making strong strides in a variety of mission portfolios, ranging from Earth-based constellations, covering observation, navigation, and communication, for both Earth and lunar missions, and even beyond toward deep space exploration. The two satellites, which have been in development since 2021, have successfully established initial communication through test signals following their deployment.
Care Weather
This is Care Weather’s fourth test satellite and their first weather radar sensing ocean surface wind speed. The smallsat also engages in attitude determination and has control software for nadir pointing. Operating a Linux CPU, “Barb” is able to measure ocean surface wind speed and has over-the-air capability for updates and higher-speed communications.