How to Choose a Launch Provider: A 10-Point Checklist for Satellite Operators

Choosing a launch provider comes down to ten questions: can the provider reach your orbit, in the way you want to fly, with your mass and volume, on a date that works, at a price you can plan with, and with clear rules for technical compatibility, licences, insurance, logistics and support. This checklist walks through each point and shows what leading providers publish about it, so you can compare offers on the same basis. Carrier Space lists 67 providers and 80 launch systems side by side in the provider directory.

1. Can the provider reach your orbit?

The launch site limits which orbits a rocket can reach efficiently. Isar Aerospace, for example, states that its launch pad at Andøya, Norway offers inclinations from 87.4 to 108 degrees, which suits sun-synchronous and polar orbits. For equatorial and medium-inclined orbits, Isar points to the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, whose latitude of 5°2' boosts performance. A rideshare mission flies to one predetermined orbit, so check whether that orbit matches your mission before you compare prices.

If no rideshare goes where you need to be, an orbital transfer vehicle can close the gap. D-Orbit's Precision Deployment service, for example, uses its ION Satellite Carrier to move a satellite into its final operational slot. See our space tug comparison.

2. Which way do you want to fly?

Providers sell launch capacity in different forms. Isar Aerospace offers three: a dedicated launch, where you fly alone and set orbit and time; a "lead" configuration, where you set destination and time while flying with others; and a rideshare to a predetermined orbit. Rocket Lab states that Electron flies dedicated or rideshare missions. Our article on rideshare vs dedicated launch explains the trade-offs.

3. Does your satellite fit in mass and volume?

Every offer defines how much mass is included and which interface you get. SpaceX sells rideshare plates with 50, 100, 200 or 300 kg included and bolt patterns of 8, 15 or 24 inches, according to its rideshare page. Impulse Space includes 300 kg on a standard plate and 700 kg on a Tallboy plate. Electron carries up to 300 kg to LEO. CubeSats fly in dispensers; the CubeSat Design Specification lists typical maximum masses from 2 kg for a 1U to 24 kg for a 12U CubeSat. Ask what happens if your final mass exceeds the included mass and what each extra kilogram costs.

4. Does the schedule fit your readiness?

Look at both the launch date and the lead time the provider needs. SpaceX says its sun-synchronous rideshare missions fly approximately every four months. Its Rideshare Payload User's Guide shows a typical contract timeline that starts eight months before launch, when mission analysis inputs are due. Arianespace describes a site survey at the Guiana Space Center about a year before launch. Our rideshare launch schedule lists the next open dates.

5. What does it cost, and what happens if you slip?

Few providers publish prices. SpaceX is an exception: $350,000 for 50 kg to SSO, plus $7,000 for each additional kilogram. If your payload is delayed, SpaceX applies 100% of the money paid to a future mission, subject to a rebooking fee of 5 to 10%. For providers that quote per mission, ask for the payment milestones, the rebooking fee, and the conditions under which you get money back. Our guides on launch costs and the Launch Service Agreement cover the contract side.

6. How is technical compatibility checked?

A good provider checks early that your satellite and its rocket are compatible. Arianespace runs a preliminary and a final mission analysis, then builds a mission-specific adapter "according to the size, mass, and format of the satellite, as well as the type of launch (dedicated, piggyback or rideshare)". It also produces a satellite compatibility file covering integration and mission constraints. Ask each provider which analyses it performs, which test levels your satellite must meet, and which documents it expects from you. The Interface Control Document records the agreed interfaces, and our article on environmental testing explains the tests.

7. Who handles licences and export control?

Licences are split between provider and customer. The SpaceX user's guide states that each party obtains the licences for its own obligations: SpaceX licenses radio emissions from its own hardware, and the customer licenses radio emissions from the customer's hardware. Before shipment to the launch site, the customer signs a letter certifying that all required payload licences are in place. At SpaceX, items, information and services provided to foreign customers are subject to US export control laws, including ITAR and EAR. If a required licence cannot be obtained in reasonable time, SpaceX reserves the right to rebook the customer or to terminate the agreement and refund the money paid. See our guides on spectrum licensing and export control.

8. How are insurance and liability arranged?

Ask which insurance the provider carries and which you need to buy. SpaceX lets customers name additional parties on its third-party liability insurance policy and offers optional launch-only insurance for the payload and the cost of launch. Customers submit their payload insurer details and waivers of subrogation. Arianespace says its financial department helps customers obtain financing and select insurance to protect the satellite until it reaches orbit. Our article on launch insurance and liability explains the terms.

9. Who moves the satellite to the launch site?

Logistics responsibilities differ a lot. At SpaceX, the customer delivers the payload and its ground support equipment to the payload processing facility, no more than eight weeks before launch unless SpaceX requests otherwise, handles hazardous items from the port of entry and obtains customs clearance. SpaceX then moves the payload between facilities at the launch site. SpaceX's rideshare page says payloads are received around 30 days before launch. Arianespace offers full logistics support to French Guiana, including transport in ISO containers by Antonov aircraft or the Canopée cargo ship and customs clearance. See our guide on shipping a satellite to the launch site.

10. What support do you get before and after launch?

Both SpaceX and Arianespace assign a single point of contact. At SpaceX, a mission manager coordinates analyses, integration, range safety and licensing from contract to launch. At Arianespace, a project manager follows the mission from contract signature to orbit. Arianespace presents flight results the day after launch and a post-launch evaluation file one to two months later. Ask every provider how and when you receive confirmation of separation and the achieved orbit.

Bonus: debris rules and registration

Launch providers pass orbital debris rules on to their customers. SpaceX expects all rideshare payloads to follow the FCC rule that requires disposal of spacecraft as soon as practicable and no later than five years after the mission ends. Customers must also register all deployed objects with the 18th Space Defense Squadron no later than two months before launch. See space debris rules for satellite operators.

Quick checklist

Orbit, altitude and inclination reachable from the provider's launch sites
Dedicated, lead, rideshare or orbital transfer vehicle
Included mass, interface and cost per extra kilogram
Launch date, launch cadence and required lead time
Price, payment milestones and rebooking terms
Mission analyses, test requirements and documentation
Licence split and export control
Insurance options and liability
Logistics and customs
Point of contact and post-launch data

FAQ

What should I look for when choosing a launch provider?

Start with the orbit and your satellite's mass, because they rule out most options. Then compare launch dates, prices, rebooking terms, technical requirements, licence and insurance responsibilities, logistics and post-launch support.

How far in advance do I need to book a launch?

The SpaceX rideshare timeline starts eight months before launch with the first mission analysis inputs. For an Ariane mission, Arianespace holds a site survey about a year before launch. Contract signature usually comes before these milestones.

Who is responsible for satellite licences, the launch provider or the operator?

Both. At SpaceX, each party obtains the licences for its own obligations; the customer licenses the radio emissions of its satellite and certifies that all payload licences are in place before shipment.

Do launch providers offer insurance?

Some do. SpaceX offers optional launch-only insurance for the payload and the cost of launch. Arianespace helps customers select insurance.

Ready to compare offers? Use the launch vehicle comparison or send a transport request through Carrier Space.

Sources

Cover image: Technicians monitor the encapsulation of NOAA's GOES-S satellite in its payload fairing at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida, February 7, 2018. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett (KSC-20180207-PH_KLS01_0233).