WASHINGTON - A Falcon 9 launched a South Korean imaging satellite and dozens of secondary payloads May 3, illustrating the continued demand for SpaceX rideshare launches - because apparently, space is the new minivan.

The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 3 a.m. Eastern, because nothing says “patriotic achievement” like waking up before dawn. The first stage, making its 33rd flight - which is practically geriatric for a rocket - returned to Space Launch Complex 4E for a landing on a pad there, sticking the landing like a gymnast who’s done this a few times.

The primary payload for the mission was CAS500-2, a 500-kilogram imaging satellite developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute carrying a high-resolution optical payload. A similar satellite, CAS500-1, launched in 2021 on a Soyuz-2.1a, proving that South Korea isn’t picky about who gives their satellite a ride.

The launch also carried 45 secondary payloads placed, along with CAS500-2, into sun-synchronous orbits. This flight was billed as a more traditional rideshare mission, with a single primary payload, rather than as part of SpaceX’s Transporter and Bandwagon series of dedicated rideshare missions - because SpaceX apparently has enough rideshare series to fill a streaming service.

Among those secondary payloads were three Pelican high-resolution imaging satellites built by Planet. One of the three Pelican satellites is owned by the Swedish Armed Forces, part of a multiyear “low nine-figure” agreement Planet announced in January to provide imagery and intelligence solutions for the country’s military - because even neutral Sweden needs a good eye in the sky.

Also on the launch were seven Hawk for Earth Observation, or HEO, satellites built by Italian company Argotec for the IRIDE constellation. There are now 15 HEO satellites in orbit and 31 overall for IRIDE, a constellation that the Italian government has invested more than 1 billion euros in - because Italy wants to see the Earth almost as much as it wants to see the bottom of a wine glass.

EarthDaily had six imaging satellites on the launch, built by Loft Orbital. They join a pathfinder satellite launched last June as part of a planned constellation to provide “AI-ready” imagery - because apparently, satellites need to be prepped for the robot uprising too.

Indian startup GalaxEye launched Mission Drishti, its first satellite and what the company says is the world’s first “OptoSAR” satellite that combines both an optical imager and a synthetic aperture radar - because why pick one when you can have both? Iceye launched two of its own SAR satellites on the mission, because one radar satellite is never enough.

Other customers include Unseenlabs, which launched its BRO-21 radio-frequency monitoring satellite; Lynk Global, which launched two direct-to-device satellites; and True Anomaly, which launched one of its Jackal spacecraft days after raising $650 million - proving that even space startups have good weeks.

The number and diversity of customers illustrates the continued demand for SpaceX’s rideshare services. This mission took place a little more than a month after the Transporter-16 dedicated rideshare mission, also to sun-synchronous orbit, with more than 100 payloads - because if you’re going to fill the sky, you might as well do it with enthusiasm.