SpaceX launches from Cape Canaveral: The Bandwagon-3 mission, marking the 300th orbital flight from Pad 40, launched successfully on April 21, 2025. The Falcon 9 rocket carried many payloads to a mid-inclination orbit, including the fourth satellite for the Korea 425 Project and Atmos Space Cargo’s Phoenix re-entry capsule.
Successful Liftoff and Falcon 9 Booster Landing
Liftoff occurred at 8:48 p.m. EDT (0048 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission was the third in SpaceX’s rideshare program, following Bandwagon-1 and Bandwagon-2, and part of the ongoing effort to transport satellites into various orbits. The Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail number 1090, successfully landed at Landing Zone 2 about eight minutes after liftoff.
Korea 425 Project Satellite
One of the primary payloads aboard the Falcon 9 was the Korea 425 Project’s fourth synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite. The South Korean military created a series of satellites for high-performance observation and monitoring, including this one. The last satellite will launch later in 2025, after the first three launch, which were part of earlier rideshare missions.
Tomorrow-S7 Satellite and Phoenix Capsule
Along with the SAR satellite, the Bandwagon-3 mission also carried Tomorrow.io’s Tomorrow-S7 satellite, which will provide all-weather temperature and humidity profiles from orbit. Additionally, the Atmos Space Cargo Phoenix re-entry capsule made its journey into space as part of its mission to test an inflatable heat shield during atmospheric re-entry.
Before reentering the atmosphere, the Phoenix 1 capsule is scheduled to make two orbits around the planet. Its goal is to supply vital information for the advancement of re-entry technology in the future. This is the first European commercial business to be authorized by the FAA to conduct a re-entry flight.
SpaceX’s Continued Success
With 300 orbital missions from Pad 40, SpaceX is setting new milestones and expanding the frontiers of space research. The Bandwagon-3 mission is another successful stage of SpaceX’s rideshare program, which is now crucial to launching a range of payloads into orbit.
Source: Space Flight Now