{"id":17955,"date":"2019-08-28T20:30:18","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T12:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-sweetens-the-deal-for-satellite-rideshare-launches-and-starlink-is-in-on-it\/"},"modified":"2019-08-28T20:30:18","modified_gmt":"2019-08-28T12:30:18","slug":"spacex-sweetens-the-deal-for-satellite-rideshare-launches-and-starlink-is-in-on-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-sweetens-the-deal-for-satellite-rideshare-launches-and-starlink-is-in-on-it\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX sweetens the deal for satellite rideshare launches, and Starlink is in on it"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_466102\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-466102\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-466102\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/181204-spacex-630x518.jpg\" alt=\"SpaceX Falcon 9 launch\" width=\"630\" height=\"518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/181204-spacex-630x518.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/181204-spacex-768x631.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/181204-spacex-1260x1035.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/181204-spacex.jpg 1661w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-466102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket executes a 64-satellite launch for Seattle-based Spaceflight in December 2018. Now SpaceX is planning rideshare missions without Spaceflight\u2019s involvement. (SpaceX Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Three weeks after announcing that it\u2019s getting into the rideshare market for launching small satellites, SpaceX slashed its prices by more than half \u2013 and said it\u2019ll be offering rideshare opportunities on its Starlink broadband satellite launches as often as once a month.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s moves suggest that SpaceX is amping up its effort to get in on the small-satellite launch market, using a strategy pioneered by Seattle-based Spaceflight.<\/p>\n<p>Spaceflight made a splash last December by arranging a 64-satellite launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9, but after coping with the complexities involved in herding that many satellites together, the company is heading in a different direction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProviding rideshare services on small- and medium-sized launch vehicles is becoming a better fit\u201d for the needs of its customers, Spaceflight said when SpaceX made its initial rideshare announcement on Aug. 5.<\/p>\n<p>In a follow-up announcement emailed to GeekWire and other media outlets today, SpaceX said it has \u201creceived a lot of interest and great feedback from customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs such, we have updated the terms of the program and have made the service even more compelling with reduced pricing and increased flight opportunities,\u201d SpaceX said:<\/p>\n<p>Instead of charging $2.5 million to launch a payload weighing up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds) to sun-synchronous orbit, SpaceX is now advertising a base price of $1 million for launching up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of ESPA-class payload, with the charge for extra mass priced at $5,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds).<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1158437647280271363&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2019%2Fspacex-sweetens-deal-satellite-rideshare-program-starlink-plays-role%2F&amp;sessionId=3a2e0fa62e614a365970bf1a9b96767765ff8bb5&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1158437647280271363\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i178280013962268937=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">SpaceX is expanding its launch services to directly address the needs of small satellite operators through regularly scheduled, dedicated Falcon 9 rideshare missions \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/jqQxEdt4xp pic.twitter.com\/3gzOPxdVkW<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 5, 2019<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"il\">Last week, California-based Momentus Space announced plans to provide an orbital shuttle service to its customers on SpaceX\u2019s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission. Momentus said its Vigoride spacecraft would be available to carry up to 250 kilograms\u2019 worth of satellites to custom orbits, on a Falcon 9 mission set for liftoff no earlier than late 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Going forward, the SmallSat Rideshare Program would offer three regularly scheduled missions per year. If a satellite operator had to miss a launch, the money that was paid out could go toward a later mission, subject to a 10% rebooking fee, SpaceX said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn addition, SpaceX will offer launch opportunities to mid-inclination as often as a monthly basis on Starlink missions, as well as missions to sun synchronous and\/or polar orbits,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX\u2019s Starlink satellites are manufactured at its facility in Redmond, Wash., and the first set of 60 operational satellites was launched in May. Eventually, thousands of Starlink spacecraft are to be put into low Earth orbit to provide global broadband internet access.<\/p>\n<p>Starlink could go into limited commercial operation as early as 2020 or 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Although SpaceX has released few details about pricing or availability for Starlink service, CEO Elon Musk has said revenue from selling broadband access could pay for the development of the company\u2019s Starship super-rocket and eventually fund the construction of a city on Mars. Charging a price to let other people\u2019s satellites piggyback alongside Starlink spacecraft could help in the shorter term.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket executes a 64-satellite launch for Seattle-based Spaceflight in December 2018. Now SpaceX is planning rideshare missions without Spaceflight\u2019s involvement. (SpaceX Photo) Three weeks after announcing that it\u2019s getting into the rideshare market for launching small satellites, SpaceX slashed its prices by more than half \u2013 and said it\u2019ll be offering rideshare [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1208,20,442,316],"class_list":["post-17955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-rideshare","tag-satellite","tag-satellites","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17955"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17955\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}