Insider Brief
- Exolaunch has signed new multi-year launch contracts with SpaceX extending small satellite rideshare services through 2028, covering sun-synchronous, mid-inclination, near-polar, and dawn-dusk orbits.
- The agreement continues a longstanding collaboration in which Exolaunch has deployed over 400 satellites across 20 missions, and now includes expanded support for diverse customers and satellite classes ranging from CubeSats to microsatellites and larger payloads.
- Exolaunch is scaling global operations with expanded facilities in the U.S., France, and Japan to support a growing launch cadence, with nearly 50 satellites set for deployment on Transporter-14 following the successful delivery of 27 satellites on Transporter-13.
PRESS RELEASE – Exolaunch, the global leader in launch mission management, satellite integration, and deployment technologies, is announcing new, multi-year launch contracts with SpaceX that extend its small satellite launch capacity through 2028 on upcoming rideshare missions.
The new launch contracts span traditional Transporter missions to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), as well as additional mid-inclination, near-polar and dawn-dusk missions, covering a wide range of launch demands. Exolaunch can integrate and deploy the full range of satellites — from CubeSats up to 16U, to microsatellites ranging from 20 to 800 kilograms and larger payloads.
Exolaunch has launched with SpaceX since 2020, executing more than 160 contracts to date and successfully deploying more than 400 diverse satellites across 20 missions aboard Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. These missions have delivered payloads to LEO SSO, mid-inclination orbits, geostationary orbit (GEO), and deep space.
Exolaunch is also proud to be the only launch integrator to have manifested satellites on every Transporter rideshare mission to date. These satellites have served Exolaunch customers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Finland, Spain, Belgium, France, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Lithuania, Denmark, Turkey, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Argentina, and many more. These missions have also helped enable many “firsts” for emerging space nations, including launches for customers in Senegal, Kenya, Croatia, Mongolia, Djibouti, Botswana, and others — helping bring their space ambitions to life.
Exolaunch’s flight-proven deployment hardware includes the CarboNIX microsatellite separation rings, EXOport multi-satellite adapters, EXOpod Nova CubeSat deployers, and Quadro four-point separation systems for microsatellites. Exolaunch is set to launch several new separation systems for microsatellites and CubeSats on upcoming missions, continually refining and expanding its product line to address the evolving deployment needs of the global satellite industry.
“Exolaunch’s sustained and growing collaboration with SpaceX underscores our joint commitment and mission to provide reliable access to space,” said Kier Fortier, Vice President of Global Business Development at Exolaunch. “SpaceX has been a steadfast launch provider, and we’re proud to push the boundaries of what’s possible in support of our global customers together.”
“We’re proud of Exolaunch’s ongoing trust in our capabilities to provide rapid and reliable access to space for their customers aboard our small satellite rideshare missions,” said SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales, Stephanie Bednarek. “Our Falcon vehicles have safely delivered hundreds of payloads to orbit for Exolaunch, and we look forward to continuing launching with them long into the future.”
Most recently, Exolaunch deployed 27 customer satellites on the Transporter-13 rideshare mission, delivering over 1,500 kilograms of payload into orbit for customers from 14 countries. On the upcoming Transporter-14 mission, Exolaunch is set to deploy nearly 50 customer satellites. Growing global demand has fueled year-over-year increases in both Exolaunch’s mission cadence and total number of satellites deployed.
“We’re thankful to SpaceX for our fruitful long-term collaboration and for delivering hundreds of payloads successfully to orbit,” said Jeanne Allarie, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Exolaunch. “Exolaunch is scaling rapidly to efficiently serve its global customers.”
As part of its strategic growth, Exolaunch continues to scale its U.S. operations to meet domestic customer needs. The company has expanded its offices and integration facilities in Denver and now operates U.S.-based payload processing and mission management teams to provide rapid, on-the-ground support for U.S. and global customers. In addition, Exolaunch has established a presence in France and Japan to better serve local small satellite operators.
With a robust pipeline of upcoming launches and a reputation for reliability and execution, Exolaunch is well positioned to continue to deliver orbital access for the world’s most ambitious space programs.
Greg Bock
Greg Bock is an award-winning investigative journalist with more than 25 years of experience in print, digital, and broadcast news. His reporting has spanned crime, politics, business and technology, earning multiple Keystone Awards and a Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters honors. Through the Associated Press and Nexstar Media Group, his coverage has reached audiences across the United States.
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