SpaceX is targeting Monday, 19 October 2026, for a Falcon 9 launch of the Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The one-hour launch window opens at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time (10:30 to 11:30 GMT), with a backup opportunity on Tuesday, 20 October.
SpaceX’s timeline lists 32 deployment events between about 57 and 70 minutes after liftoff, manifested by ten organizations, while the Falcon 9 booster makes its 19th flight and lands on an Atlantic droneship.
Bandwagon-5 at a Glance
SpaceX targets Monday, 19 October 2026, for the Falcon 9 launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with a backup on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. The one-hour window opens at 6:30 a.m. ET (10:30 GMT); the table gives both times.
SpaceX’s live webcast begins about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.
| Mission Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Target Launch Date | Monday, 19 October 2026 |
| Launch Window | 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. ET (10:30 to 11:30 GMT) |
| Backup Launch Date | Tuesday, 20 October 2026 (same window) |
| Launch Site | Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Cape Canaveral, FL |
| Launch Vehicle | Falcon 9 |
| Webcast Start | ~15 minutes before liftoff |
| Deployment Window | 00:57:18 to 01:09:30 after liftoff |
All values are from SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 mission page.
The SpaceX mission page does not publish payload masses, orbits, inclination, customers beyond the manifesting parties, or mission cost.
The Booster and Landing Profile
The Bandwagon-5 launch is the 19th flight of this Falcon 9 first stage. SpaceX’s mission page lists these earlier flights for this booster:
- Crew-9
- RRT-1
- Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1
- Fram2
- SXM-10
- MTG-S1
- EchoStar XXV
- SXM-11
- Ten Starlink missions
Following stage separation at two minutes and 29 seconds after liftoff, the first stage lands on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The timeline sets the landing burn start at eight minutes and 33 seconds, with touchdown 25 seconds later.
| Flight Event | Elapsed Time (T+) | Event Description |
|---|---|---|
| Max Q | 00:01:09 | Moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket |
| MECO | 00:02:26 | First stage main engine cutoff |
| Stage Separation | 00:02:29 | First and second stages separate |
| SES-1 | 00:02:37 | Second stage engine starts (SES-1) |
| Fairing Separation | 00:03:00 | Fairing separation |
| Entry Burn Start | 00:06:36 | First stage entry burn begins |
| Entry Burn End | 00:07:03 | First stage entry burn shuts down |
| SECO-1 | 00:08:17 | Second stage engine cutoff |
| Landing Burn Start | 00:08:33 | First stage landing burn begins |
| First Stage Landing | 00:08:58 | First stage touches down on A Shortfall of Gravitas |
| SES-2 | 00:53:48 | Second stage engine starts (SES-2) |
| SECO-2 | 00:53:52 | Second stage engine cutoff (SECO-2) |
SES-2 and SECO-2 are listed four seconds apart, about 3 minutes 26 seconds before the first deployment (00:57:18).
Satellite Payloads and Manifesting Partners
SpaceX’s deployment timeline lists 32 spacecraft deployment events occurring between 57 minutes and 70 minutes after liftoff. Ten organizations manifest the spacecraft:
- Exolaunch: 20 deployment events
- Tomorrow.io: 2 deployment events
- Capella Space Corp: 2 deployment events
- Umbra Lab, Inc: 2 deployment events
- Fergani: 1 deployment event
- Portal Space Systems: 1 deployment event
- Planet Labs: 1 deployment event
- PlanetiQ: 1 deployment event
- Viasat: 1 deployment event
- Varda Space Industries: 1 deployment event
Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX’s Starfall capsule was manifested on this flight alongside 31 customer payloads; see the SpaceX Starfall explainer.
The table below shows the complete deployment sequence in chronological order taken from the deployment timeline on SpaceX’s mission page.
| Deployment Time (T+) | Spacecraft | Manifesting Party |
|---|---|---|
| 00:57:18 | T.MicroSat-3 via Tron Future Tech | Exolaunch |
| 00:57:35 | T.MicroSat-4 via Tron Future Tech | Exolaunch |
| 00:57:58 | FOSSASAT-2E27 | Exolaunch |
| 00:58:01 | Tomorrow-S15 | Tomorrow.io |
| 00:58:15 | Tomorrow-S14 | Tomorrow.io |
| 00:58:22 | LEO Express 4 | Exolaunch |
| 00:58:32 | Hawk-15C | Exolaunch |
| 00:59:08 | SIRIUS-B | Exolaunch |
| 00:59:39 | SIRIUS-A | Exolaunch |
| 00:59:54 | Hawk-15A | Exolaunch |
| 01:00:16 | Hawk-15A | Exolaunch |
| 01:00:19 | Hawk-15B | Exolaunch |
| 01:00:56 | ICEYE-4 | Exolaunch |
| 01:01:09 | ICEYE-2 | Exolaunch |
| 01:01:24 | Pulsar-02 | Exolaunch |
| 01:01:39 | Pulsar-04 | Exolaunch |
| 01:01:48 | ICEYE-1 | Exolaunch |
| 01:01:53 | Pulsar-03 | Exolaunch |
| 01:01:58 | ICEYE-3 | Exolaunch |
| 01:02:29 | PTS-1 via Xona Space Systems | Exolaunch |
| 01:02:31 | Acadia-11 | Capella Space Corp |
| 01:02:43 | Pulsar-01 | Exolaunch |
| 01:02:48 | FRG-100D4 | Fergani |
| 01:03:00 | Starburst-1 | Portal Space Systems |
| 01:03:30 | PTS-2 via Xona Space Systems | Exolaunch |
| 01:03:33 | Pelican-12 | Planet Labs |
| 01:03:35 | Acadia-12 | Capella Space Corp |
| 01:04:14 | GNOMES-11 | PlanetiQ |
| 01:05:37 | MAXWELL | Viasat |
| 01:05:58 | W-Series 7 | Varda Space Industries |
| 01:07:10 | Umbra-14 | Umbra Lab, Inc |
| 01:09:30 | Umbra-13 | Umbra Lab, Inc |
SpaceX lists “Hawk-15A” twice in the manifest, first at 00:59:54 and again at 01:00:16. The page does not explain why. The mission page lists only the spacecraft names and manifesting entities; it does not describe the missions, owners or orbits, so this page does not either.
How a Bandwagon Flight Operates
Bandwagon is SpaceX’s rideshare series for mid-inclination low Earth orbit on dedicated Falcon 9 flights. Its sister Transporter missions fly to sun-synchronous orbit.
Bandwagon-1 flew the inaugural mission on 7 April 2024 from Kennedy Space Center. Four Bandwagon missions had flown as of 2 October 2026. Bandwagon-5 continues this series on Falcon 9, described in Falcon 9 Explained.
The flight relies on two separate upper stage engine firings. The upper stage burns for five minutes and 40 seconds during SES-1 before engine cutoff. SES-2 follows SECO-1 by about 45 minutes, and the engine fires for four seconds (SES-2 to SECO-2). For background on low Earth orbit, see LEO Satellites Explained.
Countdown Milestones on Launch Day
| Countdown Time | Sequence Action |
|---|---|
| T-00:38:00 | SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load |
| T-00:35:00 | RP-1 (rocket-grade kerosene) loading begins |
| T-00:35:00 | First stage liquid oxygen (LOX) loading begins |
| T-00:16:00 | Second stage liquid oxygen loading begins |
| T-00:07:00 | Falcon 9 begins engine chill procedures |
| T-00:01:00 | Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks |
| T-00:01:00 | Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins |
| T-00:00:45 | SpaceX Launch Director verifies final go for launch |
| T-00:00:03 | Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence |
| T-00:00:00 | Falcon 9 liftoff from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 |
The schedule can move, so confirm the current time on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 mission page before the window opens.
Why It Matters
SpaceX Rideshare Program Explained cites trade-press reports that SpaceX stopped taking new rideshare bookings beyond late 2028. SpaceX has issued no official statement on that.