4 minute read•Updated 8:11 PM EDT, Mon April 21, 2025
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — SpaceX is set to launch its third Bandwagon rideshare mission, Bandwagon-3, on Monday, April 21 at 8:48 p.m. ET (00:48 UTC on April 22) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. In case of a delay, a backup launch window is available the following evening, Tuesday, April 22 at 8:26 p.m. ET.
The launch will be broadcast live on The Launch Pad Network's youtube channel: https://youtube.com/live/SNdv3tdzx5M?feature=share with coverage beginning approximately 60 minutes before liftoff
A Mission Packed with Innovation
Bandwagon-3 is part of SpaceX’s growing series of dedicated rideshare missions to mid-inclination low Earth orbit (LEO). Unlike the company’s better-known Transporter missions, which target Sun-synchronous orbits, the Bandwagon series opens opportunities for satellites that benefit from different orbital parameters, including commercial weather monitoring, reentry technology tests, and RF signal detection.
The Bandwagon rideshare service uses an ESPA (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter) ring to host a variety of payloads, allowing customers to purchase slots for up to 50 kg at a base price of $300,000. Additional mass can be accommodated at a flexible rate, with larger payloads mounted using extenders.
Credit: SpaceX Bandwagon 2
While a full manifest has yet to be released, several key payloads are confirmed or strongly expected aboard this mission:
425Sat-3 from South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) continues the 425 Project constellation for surveillance and reconnaissance.
Tomorrow-S7, a commercial weather satellite developed by Tomorrow Companies Inc., is expected to provide hyperlocal weather data for commercial and governmental use.
PHOENIX-1 from Atmos Space Cargo, a prototype reentry capsule that will deploy an inflatable heat shield and conduct a splashdown recovery after completing two Earth orbits. This capsule carries four biological and technological experiments and is part of a broader effort to develop reusable cargo return systems for LEO missions.
PHOENIX Capsule’s Debut
PHOENIX aims to set a new global standard for downmass efficiency with a 1:2 payload-to-mass ratio, significantly outperforming current industry capabilities.
The capsule will orbit Earth twice before re-entering the atmosphere using an innovative Inflatable Heat Shield, which enables early deceleration and stable, controlled descent without parachutes.
Key objectives of the PHOENIX 1 test flight include:
Collecting data on capsule systems and performance in orbit,
Supporting biological and technological payloads from customers,
Testing and stabilizing the Inflatable Heat Shield during re-entry.
The mission will intentionally end with the capsule’s destruction, providing critical data for future designs, including PHOENIX 2.
Initial payloads include experiments from:
DLR (Germany) – measuring space radiation levels,
IDDK (Japan) – testing a chip-based microscopic observation system,
Frontier Space (UK) – flying a scalable bioreactor for in-space manufacturing.
This milestone places ATMOS at the forefront of European commercial space re-entry and supports its broader goal to offer frequent, affordable return missions for industries like life sciences, biotech, defense, and in-space manufacturing. The company has already secured 7 re-entry missions through 2027 and is developing larger, reusable spacecraft for the next phase of orbital logistics.
Booster B1090 Returns for a Third Flight
The first stage booster supporting this mission, B1090, is flying for the third time. It previously supported the O3b mPOWER-E mission in December 2024 and Crew-10 to the International Space Station in March 2025.
After liftoff and stage separation, the booster will perform a propulsive return landing at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2), just a few miles south of the launch pad; continuing SpaceX’s practice of rapidly reusing Falcon 9 hardware.
Bandwagon Program Expands Reach
The Bandwagon-3 launch marks the third flight in the series since its debut on April 7, 2024, and with it, SpaceX will have launched Bandwagon missions from all three of its active U.S. launch pads — Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, and Vandenberg Space Force Base. A fourth Bandwagon mission is already planned for later this summer, as SpaceX continues to ramp up its high-cadence launch capabilities for the global smallsat market.
As SpaceX continues to diversify its rideshare offerings and showcase new in-space technologies like PHOENIX, the Bandwagon series is quickly becoming a launchpad not only for satellites but for innovation itself.
LAUNCH SUMMARY:
Mission Name: Bandwagon-3
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9
Launch Time: Monday, April 21 at 8:48 p.m. ET
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Backup Date: Tuesday, April 22 at 8:26 p.m. ET
Landing Site: LZ-2 (Cape Canaveral)
Booster: B1090 (3rd flight)
