Rideshare Launch Schedule 2026 and 2027: Next SpaceX, SEOPS, Impulse and D-Orbit Missions

As of October 9, 2026, SpaceX's online booking system lists two sun-synchronous rideshare missions with open capacity: one no earlier than (NET) June 1, 2027 and one NET October 1, 2027, both to a 500 to 600 km sun-synchronous orbit. The most recent SpaceX Transporter mission flew on October 1, 2026. Beyond SpaceX, Impulse Space starts annual GEO rideshare missions in 2027, Exolaunch plans an H3 rideshare from Japan in 2027 and its own Falcon 9 missions for late 2027 and 2028, D-Orbit lists its next launch for February 2027, and SEOPS plans two dedicated Waymaker rideshare missions for 2028. This page collects the dates that the providers publish themselves and explains how to plan a booking around them.

How rideshare schedules work

Rideshare dates are planning dates, not promises. Providers publish missions as "no earlier than" (NET) dates, and a mission can slip when the rocket, the primary payload or another customer is late. Our guide on launch delays explains why this happens. Three things matter when you read a schedule:

The orbit: a rideshare mission flies to one predetermined orbit. If your satellite needs a different altitude or inclination, the date alone does not help you.
Open capacity: a mission that is sold out no longer appears as bookable, even if it has not launched yet.
Your own deadlines: the launch date drives a chain of earlier deadlines for documents, licences and delivery of the satellite to the launch site.

SpaceX Transporter missions: recent launches and next open dates

SpaceX states on its rideshare page that sun-synchronous (SSO) missions fly "approximately every 4 months". The mission list of the integrator SEOPS shows the recent rhythm:

Transporter-15: November 28, 2025, Falcon 9 from SLC-4E, Vandenberg
Transporter-16: March 30, 2026
Transporter-17: July 7, 2026
Transporter-18: October 1, 2026

The gaps between these launches were between about three and four months. For new bookings, the SpaceX rideshare booking system currently shows these SSO missions:

SSO rideshare NET June 1, 2027: 500 to 600 km, SSO ±0.1°
SSO rideshare NET October 1, 2027: 500 to 600 km, SSO ±0.1°

The Carrier Space missions page also lists a SpaceX SSO rideshare NET February 2027, which is sold out. No SSO mission before June 2027 currently shows open capacity in the SpaceX booking system.

For mid-inclination orbits, SpaceX says there are "frequent launches", but the online booking system does not list a mid-inclination mission at the moment. SpaceX asks customers to inquire for mid-inclination LEO, GTO and trans-lunar injection (TLI).

What a SpaceX rideshare slot costs

SpaceX publishes its prices: $350,000 for 50 kg to SSO, with additional mass at $7,000 per kg. Customers book a slot on a rideshare plate:

1/4 plate: 8-inch bolt pattern, 50 kg included
1/2 plate: 8-inch or 15-inch bolt pattern, 100 kg included
Full plate: 15-inch or 24-inch bolt pattern, 200 kg included
Full plate (XL volume): 24-inch bolt pattern, 300 kg included

If your payload is delayed, SpaceX applies 100% of the money already paid to a future mission, subject to a rebooking fee of 5 to 10%. More details are in our article SpaceX rideshare explained.

Other rideshare programs and their dates

SEOPS Waymaker: SEOPS has started a dedicated LEO rideshare program on its Waymaker page. Waymaker-1 targets a mid-inclination orbit at about 500 km with a launch window in early 2028. Waymaker-2 targets SSO at about 500 km in late 2028. Both missions fly on Falcon 9. In August 2026, SEOPS said its first Waymaker mission, the one to SSO, was nearing capacity with 90% of the available payload mass under contract. To meet demand, it turned its previously announced Darkstar-1 mission to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) into the mid-inclination Waymaker mission. Customers choose an interface class (Cake Topper, XL, Full, Half or CubeSat); CubeSat support is still under evaluation, and capacity is reserved only once a Launch Services Agreement is signed. The SEOPS missions page still invites inquiries for a dedicated GTO rideshare, while SEOPS says it continues to evaluate the timing of future GTO offerings.
Isar Aerospace and SEOPS: on September 15, 2026, Isar Aerospace and SEOPS signed an agreement for five dedicated Spectrum launches between 2028 and 2030 from Andøya Space and Spaceport Nova Scotia. The launches expand the Waymaker program with European rideshare missions.
Exolaunch: the integrator has contracted two Falcon 9 launches of its own with SpaceX. According to its May 2026 announcement, Exo-1 is scheduled no earlier than late 2027 and Exo-2 no earlier than 2028. In September 2026, Exolaunch also secured capacity on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' H3 rocket for a mid-inclination rideshare mission in 2027, its first launch from Japan, which will serve several constellation customers. As launch co-integrator for the GRACE-C mission of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR, scheduled on Falcon 9 no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2028, Exolaunch will offer capacity for additional customer payloads.
Impulse Space: according to its rideshare page, Impulse runs Caravan, an annual GEO rideshare with missions starting in 2027, and Mira rideshare, which has been flying since 2023. A standard plate includes 300 kg (700 kg maximum), a Tallboy plate 700 kg (1,400 kg maximum).
D-Orbit: the D-Orbit homepage lists the next launch for February 2027. D-Orbit offers rideshare with its own dispensers and precision deployment with its ION Satellite Carrier, which moves satellites to their final orbit.
Isar Aerospace: Spectrum can be booked as a dedicated launch, as a "lead" customer who sets orbit and timing while flying with others, or as a rideshare to a predetermined orbit. From Andøya, launch inclinations range from 87.4 to 108 degrees.
Rocket Lab Electron: Electron carries up to 300 kg to LEO and flies dedicated or rideshare missions. Its Kick Stage can deploy payloads into multiple planes and inclinations.

For a neutral overview of the companies that buy and resell this capacity, see our comparison of launch brokers and rideshare integrators.

How to plan your booking around the schedule

The SpaceX Rideshare Payload User's Guide (Version 11, August 2026) shows the timeline of a typical rideshare contract. It is a good reference for how far ahead you need to work:

L-8 months: mission integration analysis inputs are due.
L-6, L-4 and L-2 months: range safety submissions are due.
L-5 months: you select your deployment orbit from the parameters SpaceX provides for the mission.
L-2 months: proof of all required on-orbit licences is due, and all deployed objects must be registered with the 18th Space Defense Squadron.
Around L-30 days: the payload arrives at the launch site and is processed in a SpaceX facility.

In practice, this means that a satellite aiming for the June 2027 mission needs a contract and the first mission analysis inputs around October 2026, eight months before launch. If your satellite will not be ready by then, the October 2027 mission, Exolaunch's Exo-1 or a 2028 mission such as Waymaker may be the more realistic target. Our step-by-step guide on how to book a rideshare launch slot covers the booking process itself.

FAQ

When is the next SpaceX rideshare launch with open slots?

As of October 9, 2026, the SpaceX booking system shows the next SSO rideshare with open capacity NET June 1, 2027, followed by a mission NET October 1, 2027. Both target a 500 to 600 km sun-synchronous orbit.

How often does SpaceX fly Transporter rideshare missions?

SpaceX says SSO rideshare missions fly approximately every four months. Transporter-15 to Transporter-18 launched between November 2025 and October 2026, three to four months apart.

How much does a SpaceX rideshare cost?

SpaceX charges $350,000 for 50 kg to SSO and $7,000 for each additional kilogram. Our guide on CubeSat launch cost breaks down what this means for small satellites.

Can I still get a rideshare launch earlier than June 2027?

The SpaceX booking system shows no SSO flight with open capacity before June 2027. If you need an earlier date, ask integrators such as Exolaunch or SEOPS, which buy capacity on SpaceX missions and resell it, or look at dedicated small launchers such as Electron.

Which rideshare missions are planned for 2028?

Announced missions include SEOPS Waymaker-1 to a mid-inclination orbit in early 2028, Waymaker-2 to SSO in late 2028, Exolaunch's Exo-2 no earlier than 2028 and the GRACE-C mission with rideshare capacity no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2028, all on Falcon 9. Isar Aerospace and SEOPS also plan five dedicated Spectrum launches between 2028 and 2030.

What happens if my satellite is not ready in time?

SpaceX applies 100% of the money paid to a later mission, minus a rebooking fee of 5 to 10%. Other providers set their own rebooking terms in the launch contract.

Looking for a slot? Compare open missions on the Carrier Space missions page or send a request.

Sources

Cover image: A Falcon 9 rocket with NASA's DART spacecraft at Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, November 23, 2021. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls (NHQ202111230014).