NASA SmallSats Encapsulated for SpaceX Transporter-18 Rideshare Launch
Ahead of launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, three NASA-supported small satellites—ASCENT, SPRITE, and SSPICY—were encapsulated alongside commercial payloads for the Transporter-18 rideshare mission, paving the way for orbital demonstrations of dual-mode propulsion, galactic dust transport, and satellite inspection.