SpaceX Launches Spaceflight SSO-A Mission with Canadian Satellites Onboard

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the Spaceflight SSO-A SmallSat Express mission. Credit: SpaceX.

A SpaceX Falcon has successfully launched the Spaceflight SSO-A “SmallSat Express” mission. It was the third time this Falcon 9 first stage has flown.

There are 64 small satellites on the flight including two Canadian ones. The two satellites belong to Vancouver based Helios Wire and Cambridge based exactEarth.

Pathfinder II, a 20kg 16U satellite built by Astro Digital for Helios Wire, is the first of a planned constellation of 28 machine-to-machine (M2M) small satellite serving the Internet of Things connectivity market.

Vesta is a 3U (4kg) technology demonstration satellite that will test a “new two-way VHF data exchange system (VDES) payload for the exactEarth advanced maritime satellite constellation” according to builder Surrey Satellite Technology, LTD (SSTL). The satellite uses the SSTL-12 Nano platform.

At present we’re waiting on Spaceflight for the successful deployment of the Canadian satellites.

Also of note, SpaceX recovered the two fairing panels, another first, and SpaceX announced they will be used again.

Falcon 9 Spaceflight SSO-A SmallSat Express Launch Replay

The Falcon 9 first stage successfully lands after completing its mission.

SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage landing
SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage landing. Credit: SpaceX.

About Marc Boucher

Boucher is an entrepreneur, writer, editor & publisher. He is the founder of SpaceQ Media Inc. and CEO and co-founder of SpaceRef Interactive LLC. Boucher has 20+ years working in various roles in the space industry and a total of 30 years as a technology entrepreneur including creating Maple Square, Canada's first internet directory and search engine.

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