SpaceX announced a new business strategy on Monday that indicates the company wants to adapt: It’s establishing a “rideshare program” for small satellites. Under the new initiative, SpaceX will dedicate “regularly scheduled” launches of its mighty Falcon 9 rocket to carrying large batches of smallsats, rather than focusing on one large, primary payload.
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
Rides scheduled more than a year before launch will start at $2.5 million for payloads of up to 150 kg (330 lbs) and $4.5 million for payloads of up to 300 kg (660 lbs). The price will go up closer to the mission, jumping to $3 million and $6 million, respectively.
“SpaceX is committed to serving the commercial market as it grows and changes, and we believe we can address the needs of small satellite operators by offering reliable, cost-effective access to orbit through regularly scheduled, dedicated rideshare missions,” a SpaceX spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.
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.
