Vandenberg Space Force Base, California – SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Transporter-15 rideshare mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California today, November 26, 2025. The launch window opened at 10:18 a.m. PT for the mission, which is deploying over 100 small satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit. The company announced the rocket was "vertical at pad 4E in California ahead of today’s launch," via a tweet.
This mission marks the 30th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting Transporter-15, demonstrating SpaceX's commitment to reusability in spaceflight. The booster, identified as B1071, previously supported numerous missions including NROL-87, SARah-1, SWOT, and several Starlink deployments. Following stage separation, the booster is expected to perform an autonomous landing on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' in the Pacific Ocean.
The Transporter-15 mission is a dedicated rideshare flight, a cornerstone of SpaceX's SmallSat Rideshare Program designed to provide affordable access to space for small satellite operators. Companies can launch up to 50kg for as low as $300,000, a significant reduction compared to the approximately $69.85 million cost of a dedicated Falcon 9 launch. This cost-effectiveness enables a diverse range of organizations, from universities to commercial entities, to deploy their spacecraft.
Key launch integrators, Exolaunch and SEOPS, are facilitating a substantial portion of the payloads. Exolaunch is managing 59 satellites from over 30 customers across 16 countries, making it their largest mission to date. SEOPS is also manifesting 10 customer spacecraft, including the HUNITY project from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the SARI-1 and SARI-2 missions from the Saudi Space Agency.
Among the diverse array of payloads are contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA), alongside commercial and academic projects. Planet Labs is deploying additional satellites for its Pelican network and SuperDoves for its PlanetScope monitoring mission. Italian company Leaf Space is also adding 31 payloads to its ground station network, further expanding its global infrastructure.