SpaceX has rolled out an initiative designed to make it cheaper and easier for space tech startups and smaller satellite operators to reach space.
The Hawthorne, California-based space exploration company announced its SmallSat Rideshare Program on Monday, which will enable small satellite operators to get dropped off in space by allowing them to share the cost of dedicated, regularly scheduled Falcon 9 launches.
Typically, many smaller satellite operators hitch rides on big rockets already launching a primary payload into orbit in order to cut the cost of reaching space.
The initiative will provide small satellite operators with regularly scheduled Falcon 9 rideshare missions into a Sun-synchronous orbit, unlike current ridesharing services that are reliant on the primary payload being ready for launch.
SpaceX says prices will start at $2.25 million for satellites weighing up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds), and $4.5 million for up to about 300 kilograms (660 pounds).
“Falcon 9 was the most frequently launched commercial rocket worldwide in both 2017 and 2018. 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 company said in a statement on its website.
SpaceX has previously carried out rideshare missions via its workhorse Falcon 9 rockets, though those flights were integrated and organized by Spaceflight Industries – a third-party provider.
The company has also mostly focused on launching bulky cargo capsules to the International Space Station (ISS) or heavier, bus-sized satellites to space.
“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 spokesperson for the company said.
SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk, chief executive officer of electric car manufacturer Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA). The company became the first private company to ship cargo to space in 2012.
Its entry into the small-satellite launch market with the Falcon 9 rocket is likely to threaten upcoming companies in the U.S. and elsewhere that have been working to develop small rockets for smallsat launch services.