NASA smallsats ride SpaceX Falcon 9 to orbit on Transporter-18 mission
Three NASA-supported small spacecraft launched alongside commercial payloads from Vandenberg on October 1, 2026.
Three small spacecraft backed by NASA were among the payloads that launched into low-Earth orbit on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The lift-off occurred at 11:32 a.m. PDT from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The payloads flew aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the company’s Transporter-18 rideshare mission. The three NASA-supported smallsats were shown alongside many commercial payloads before being encapsulated.
Transporter missions are designed to deliver multiple small satellites to orbit in a single launch, offering cost-effective access to space for both government and commercial customers. The exact scientific or operational objectives of the three NASA-supported spacecraft have not been detailed in the mission announcement.
Source: NASA