Two SpaceX alums, John Garvey and Jim Cantrell, have founded a new startup called Vector Space Systems that aims to put micro satellites into orbit.
It would be a dramatic shakeup of the current launch model, where getting a satellite into orbit requires piggybacking on existing launches. These rideshare payloads often need to wait years for a launch and must pick from a very limited choice of destinations.
Popular Science points to these tiny satellites, ranging from about 5 kg to 50 kg (about 10 pounds to 110 pounds), comprising about 75 percent of all satellite launches within the next five years.
In a press release, Cantrell said he wants to "bring the reality of space to a much larger pool of entrepreneurs." The startup is aiming to launch its first rocket in 2018.