The Falcon 9 can place up to 22,800 kilograms into low Earth orbit, although that performance will be reduced somewhat to achieve the zero-degree inclination of IXPE’s orbit, at an altitude of 540 kilometers. The spacecraft has a mass of 292 kilograms, according to a mission fact sheet. It’s unlikely that IXPE will make use of the full payload performance of the Falcon 9. NASA, though, could add its own smallsat secondary payloads to the launch if there is excess capacity. The agency previously said that the DART launch would be a dedicated mission. NASA didn’t state if IXPE would share the launch with one or more other customers. She noted IXPE is the sixth mission the company has won a contract to launch through NASA’s Launch Services Program, which handles satellite missions. “SpaceX is honored that NASA continues to place its trust in our proven launch vehicles to deliver important science payloads to orbit,” Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX, said in a company statement.
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