According to the latest report from Space.com, on November 2, SpaceX launched a satellite that will help in the near future to construct the first independent private space station in human history.
On Sunday, November 2, at 1:09 a.m. Eastern Time, the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying 18 payloads to execute SpaceX’s “Bandwagon-4” rideshare mission.
Among the 18 payloads aboard the Falcon 9 rocket was the “Haven Demo” satellite, the test version of the private space station “Haven-1” by California-based Vast Space company. Described by Vast Space, “Haven Demo” will test key systems of “Haven-1,” including propulsion systems, flight computers, and navigation software.
Vast Space is a U.S. startup aerospace company dedicated to building commercial space stations that can support long-term human habitation in space. “Haven-1” is the company’s first commercial space station, capable of accommodating up to four astronauts and expected to launch into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in 2026. Their future expansion project is “Haven-2,” aiming to become a versatile commercial space station that can replace the International Space Station (ISS).
The other 17 payloads launched during this mission were operated by the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (ADD), Berlin-based Exolaunch company, Turkey’s Fergani Space company, weather forecasting company Tomorrow Companies, and Starcloud company dedicated to building data centers in space.
SpaceX stated that the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage was scheduled to return to Earth approximately 8 minutes after launch and land at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral. This marked the third flight of this booster.
Simultaneously, the second stage of the rocket continued to deliver the 18 payloads into orbit. It began separating the payloads, starting with the ADD’s Korean 425 satellite approximately 12 minutes after launch, gradually delivering them to their destinations over the next hour.
The report mentioned that “Bandwagon-4” is the 4th mission in this series of missions by SpaceX. Another rideshare project operated by SpaceX called “Transporter” has already completed 14 launches.
This “Bandwagon-4” launch is the 140th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket in 2025. This year, over 70% of the rocket’s missions have been dedicated to building the Starlink constellation, SpaceX’s vast and expanding broadband satellite network.