SpaceX is gearing up for another ambitious launch today (Jan. 14), as a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to deliver 131 payloads into orbit as part of the company's Transporter 12 mission. Liftoff is set for 1:49 p.m. EST (1849 GMT; 10:49 a.m. local time) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, within a 27-minute launch window.
Picture of Falcon 9 payload adaptor with all 131 satellites before installation of fairing Credit: SpaceX
While impressive, today’s payload count falls just short of a record. The mark for the most satellites launched on a single mission remains at 143, a feat SpaceX achieved during its Transporter 1 mission in January 2021.
SpaceX will broadcast the launch live on its platform, X (formerly Twitter), with coverage starting approximately 10 minutes before liftoff.
A Shared Journey to Orbit
Transporter 12 is the latest in SpaceX's rideshare program, which bundles payloads from multiple customers onto a single rocket. Since the program’s inception, SpaceX has launched 13 rideshare missions — 11 Transporter flights and two Bandwagon missions — collectively lofting about 1,100 payloads for more than 130 customers.
Among the notable payloads on today’s mission are 37 satellites from Planet Labs, a San Francisco-based Earth observation company. Thirty-six of these are “SuperDove” cubesats, small shoebox-sized satellites capable of capturing images with a resolution of about 10 feet (3 meters) per pixel. The remaining satellite, Pelican-2, represents a significant technological leap with a resolution 7.5 times sharper than that of the SuperDoves.
A New Era of AI-Powered Satellites
Pelican-2 is equipped with cutting-edge AI technology developed in collaboration with NVIDIA. Using the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI and robotics, Pelican-2 is designed to perform on-orbit computing, dramatically reducing the time between data collection and delivery to customers.
“Pelican-2 is designed to rapidly convert precise spatial data into near-real-time insights by utilizing AI-powered solutions for use cases including object detection, vegetation and crop type classification, and disaster response,” Planet explained in a December 2024 statement.
Precision Deployment and Booster Recovery
The Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage will begin deploying the 131 payloads into low Earth orbit roughly 54 minutes after liftoff, a process expected to take about 90 minutes. Meanwhile, the rocket's first stage will return to Earth, landing at Vandenberg just 7.5 minutes after launch.
This marks the second flight for this particular booster, which previously supported the NROL-126 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office on Nov. 30, 2024.
SpaceX's rideshare program has revolutionized access to space for smaller payloads, allowing a wide variety of customers — from startups to established companies and government agencies — to send their satellites into orbit at reduced costs.
Today’s launch continues SpaceX’s record-breaking momentum, showcasing its commitment to providing reliable, frequent, and cost-effective access to space.
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