SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare missions announced
Small satellites can use SpaceX's dedicated, regular Falcon 9 missions for $2.25 million minimum.
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Small sats can use SpaceX's dedicated, regular Falcon 9 missions for $2.25 million minimum.
Elon Musk's SpaceX is expanding its Falcon 9 rideshare missions to target small satellite operators, saying Monday it will have "regularly scheduled, dedicated" missions. The service will start at $2.25 million for 150kg (330 pounds) of payload mass, plus $15,000 for every kilogram above that.
The company pioneered the reusable rocket, lending it out for rideshare missions as a faster, less expensive way for companies to get their products into orbit.
SpaceX is expanding its launch services to directly address the needs of small satellite operators through regularly scheduled, dedicated Falcon 9 rideshare missions → https://t.co/jqQxEdt4xp pic.twitter.com/3gzOPxdVkW
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 5, 2019
The SmallSat Rideshare Program will be pre-scheduled, with SpaceX saying it won't ever be delayed by co-passengers. If a small sateliite company is delayed due to "development or production challenges," SpaceX will also let them put 100% of their payment toward rebooking a later mission.
Pricing goes up to $6 million for up to 300kg of payload mass, with a charge of $20,000 per kg of additional payload mass.
"With SpaceX as a launch partner, small satellites can fly on dedicated missions with the world's leading commercial launch provider at a fraction of traditional costs," the space company said.
The first mission will launch between November 2020 and March 2021, with the subsequent two SmallSat Rideshare Program missions scheduled for the first quarters of 2022 and 2023.
