Bandwagon-4 Mission

Bandwagon‑4 is a Falcon 9 mission under SpaceX’s small satellite rideshare program. The mission launched on the morning of 2 November 2025 at 05:09:59 UTC from SLC‑40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This flight, carried out using a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, delivered a total of 18 small satellites to orbit. Bandwagon‑4 is the fourth of SpaceX’s regular rideshare missions targeting a mid-inclination orbit.

Launch and Orbit

The mission was executed using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. Launch occurred on 2 November 2025 at 08:09 local time in Türkiye (05:09 UTC). The German company Exolaunch was responsible for satellite integration and launch preparation. Exolaunch integrated 13 satellites for this mission and announced that it carried satellites from customers in Argentina, the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Türkiye and the United States. The rocket lifted off from SLC‑40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and its first stage successfully landed at Launch Zone 2 approximately eight minutes after liftoff. The upper stage performed three separate engine burns to place all payloads into their target orbit.

The Bandwagon‑4 mission targeted a Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The satellites were placed into an orbit at an altitude of approximately 510 km and an inclination of about 45°. This mid-inclination orbit is typical for many small satellites designed for global observation and communication purposes. Approximately 74 minutes after launch, all satellites had separated and begun operations. Each satellite has a different expected service life; for example, the 104 kg FGN‑100‑D2 satellite from Fergani Space is projected to operate for approximately 5–7 years.

Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket at liftoff (NASASpaceflight)

Payloads and Objectives

The Bandwagon‑4 mission delivered 18 small satellites with a wide variety of objectives. Notable payloads include:

• South Korea “425 Project” SAR Satellite: The fifth satellite in a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation developed for the South Korean Defense Development Agency (ADD). This reconnaissance satellite separated from the upper stage approximately 14 minutes after launch and entered its orbit. (Like previous SAR satellites carried on Bandwagon missions, this satellite serves a military observation function.)
• Space42/ICEYE SAR Satellites: Three SAR satellites — Foresight‑3, ‑4 and ‑5 — from the joint “Foresight” constellation of BAE Systems-based Space42 and Finland-based ICEYE were deployed. These orbital radar satellites provide 25 cm resolution imagery for Earth observation and intelligence purposes.
• Vast Inc. – Haven Demo: A technology demonstrator developed by U.S.-based Vast Inc. for its commercial space station project. This spacecraft is designed to test critical systems of the planned four-astronaut Haven‑1 station in space, including navigation, propulsion and computing systems.
• Starcloud‑1: A 60 kg satellite owned by U.S.-based Starcloud. It serves as a test of a space-based data center, housing an NVIDIA H100 graphics processing unit (GPU) with the goal of running artificial intelligence workloads in space.
• Tomorrow Companies Weather Satellites: Two AI-enabled weather satellites developed by U.S.-based Tomorrow Companies. These satellites are designed to improve weather prediction accuracy using machine learning.

Türkiye-Linked Missions: TAURUS and FGN-100-D2

• TAURUS Constellation: A quartet of nano-satellites developed by Turkish space industry company Gümüş Aerospace with support from TUBİTAK. Each satellite measures 0.25U (10×10×2.7 cm, 425 g) and is designed for IoT (Internet of Things) services, collecting AIS and ADS-B signals for maritime and aviation traffic monitoring. These satellites were placed into a 45° inclined orbit at approximately 510 km altitude via the Bandwagon‑4 mission. Founded in 2012, Gümüş Aerospace collaborates with institutions such as TUBİTAK, Aselsan, Havelsan and SSB to develop satellites. The TAURUS satellites are among Türkiye’s smallest independently developed operational platforms.

• FGN-100-D2: The second national satellite developed by Türkiye-based Fergani Space. Entirely produced using domestic capabilities, it forms the second phase of Türkiye’s national satellite positioning system project aiming to deploy 100 satellites (a GPS-like system). FGN-100-D2 was launched into space aboard Bandwagon‑4 as an experimental prototype of this constellation.

Each satellite has a distinct mission: some are for Earth observation (SAR satellites), others for communication and data relay (TAURUS), others for positioning and global navigation systems (FGN‑100‑D2), and others for space technology testing and artificial intelligence applications (Haven Demo, Starcloud‑1, Tomorrow satellites). The overall objective of Bandwagon‑4 is to deliver a large number of small satellites to a designated orbit at low cost.

Fergani Space FGN‑100‑D2 (Selçuk Bayraktar)

Falcon 9 Block 5 Rocket

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Block 5 is a partially reusable, two-stage medium-lift launch vehicle. The first stage uses nine Merlin 1D engines, generating a total thrust of approximately 7,600 kN. At launch, the rocket has a mass of about 549 metric tons and a height of 69.8 meters. The Block 5 variant is reinforced with landing legs and heat shields and is designed for rapid reusability; theoretically, it can fly at least 10 times without maintenance and up to 100 flights with proper servicing. The launcher’s payload capacity reaches up to approximately 22,800 kg to a low Earth orbit in expendable mode, and reduces to about 18,500 kg when the first stage returns. (To geostationary transfer orbit, it can deliver approximately 8,300 kg in expendable mode and 5,500 kg with first stage recovery.) Thanks to its reusability, the first stage of the Falcon 9 Block 5 can land vertically on drone ships over the ocean or at Landing Zones in Florida after launch.

Exolaunch Payload Integration Systems

Exolaunch is a German company specializing in the integration of CubeSats and small satellites onto launch vehicles. For Bandwagon missions, Exolaunch uses modular CubeSat deployers such as the EXOpod Nova and multi-satellite carrier platforms called EXOport to integrate customer satellites onto the launch vehicle. Safe separation of satellites from the carrier is achieved using CarboNIX release systems. The primary systems used by Exolaunch on Bandwagon‑4 are:

• EXOpod Nova (CubeSat deployer): A pressure-spring mechanism-based dispenser that holds small (1–12U) satellite modules. CubeSats are placed inside these capsules and secured to the rocket’s interior.
• EXOport (Multi-satellite adapter): A multi-satellite mounting plate that enables multiple small satellites to be mounted simultaneously onto the first stage.
• CarboNIX separation system: A spring-based propulsion mechanism for releasing satellites from the carrier. A proven system in Exolaunch’s flight heritage, available in various diameters and mass capacities.
• CarboNIX NEO: An enhanced variant of CarboNIX. Its new design features a stronger clamping ring to accommodate heavier satellites.

These systems enabled Exolaunch to ensure the safe and precise deployment of the numerous small satellites onboard Bandwagon‑4.