SpaceX Launches 116 satellites For Transporter 11 Rideshare Mission

Image credit: SpaceX

The diverse payload included a range of innovative satellites, showcasing the growing demand for space-based services. Notably, the mission carried an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX chip, an artificial intelligence and edge computing graphics processing unit (GPU) that will be shielded with a nanoparticle-infused polymer made by Cosmic Shielding Corporation (CSC). This marks the first time this shielding will be used to protect real hardware during a space mission.

Exolaunch, a leading provider of launch services and deployment systems, played a crucial role in the mission. The company deployed 42 small satellites for 23 global customers, representing a diverse array of government space agencies, commercial companies, and academic research institutions from 13 countries. Exolaunch's proprietary EXOpod Nova containerized deployers and CarboNIX ring-based separation systems were used to support the deployment of customer satellites on this mission.

SpaceX said in a statement, "There will be 116 payloads on this flight, including CubeSats, MicroSats, and an orbital transfer vehicle carrying eight of those payloads, five of which will be deployed at a later time."

Payload section of Falcon 9 with all the 116 satellties awaiting fairing installation before the launch of  Transporter 11 mission     Image Credit: SpaceX