SpaceX's Smallsat Rideshare Program is one of the most popular ways to get a small satellite into orbit. It sells space on dedicated rideshare missions of Falcon 9, with published prices and online booking. This guide explains how the program works, what it costs, which plate sizes exist, what the schedule looks like and which technical rules apply, based on SpaceX's rideshare page and its Rideshare Payload User's Guide.
What SpaceX rideshare is
SpaceX advertises dedicated rideshare missions, meaning flights that carry many small satellites rather than one large primary payload. The program covers CubeSat dispensers, small spacecraft with 8, 15 or 24 inch standard interfaces and spacecraft with a 4-point interface compatible with the rideshare plate. Larger spacecraft can ask for custom configurations or a "cake topper" slot on top of the stack.
Prices
- Base price: $350,000 for 50 kg to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)
- Additional mass: $7,000 per kg
- Other orbits: SpaceX says affordable rates are also available to mid-inclination LEO, GTO and trans-lunar injection, without listing them
Optional services cost extra. SpaceX lists mechanical interface adapters for non-standard diameters, procurement of a third-party separation system with at least six months' lead time, launch site fueling, electrical connectivity in the hangar and on the pad, additional deployment channels and launch-only insurance. Price examples per mass are in how much it costs to launch a satellite.
Plates and included mass
- 1/4 plate: 8 inch bolt pattern, 50 kg included
- 1/2 plate: 8 or 15 inch bolt pattern, 100 kg included
- Full plate: 15 or 24 inch bolt pattern, 200 kg included
- Full plate (XL volume): 24 inch bolt pattern, 300 kg included
CubeSats fly in an integrated CubeSat dispenser assembly with a single mechanical interface to the rocket. It may contain several dispensers and has up to four deployment channels.
Schedule
According to SpaceX, SSO missions fly approximately every four months, with frequent launches to mid-inclination orbits. SpaceX's typical rideshare schedule after contract signature:
- About 8 months before launch: mission analysis inputs due
- About 6 months: first range safety submissions
- About 3.5 months: final mission analysis inputs
- About 2 months: mission analysis completed, launch campaign readiness review, deadline to register deployed objects
- About 30 days: payload delivered to the launch site
How to book
SpaceX lets customers search flights and reserve online. After a reservation request is approved, SpaceX sends a welcome package with the next steps. Each customer gets a single mission manager as technical point of contact until launch. The full process is described in how to book a rideshare launch.
Delays and rebooking
If your payload is delayed, SpaceX lets you apply 100% of the money paid toward rebooking on a future mission, subject to a 5 to 10% rebooking fee. If an export license cannot be obtained within a reasonable time, the user's guide allows SpaceX to rebook the customer with fees or terminate and refund the amounts paid without interest. See launch delays.
Key technical rules
- Separation: 0.3 to 1.0 m/s separation velocity; microsatellites should not exceed 5 degrees per second tip-off rate.
- After separation: no attitude maneuvers for at least 120 seconds, no propulsive maneuvers for at least seven days.
- Radio: transmitters may only switch on after a minimum delay that depends on power and separation velocity; open-air RF checkouts during integration are prohibited.
- Cleanliness: payloads must be cleaned to "visibly clean, highly sensitive" before integration.
- Debris: payloads must follow the FCC rule to dispose of spacecraft no later than five years after the mission ends, and objects must be registered with the 18th Space Defense Squadron and SpaceX Space Traffic Coordination at least two months before launch.
More detail: ICD explained and payload processing at the launch site.
Pros and cons
- Pros: published prices, regular flights, online booking, a flight-proven rocket, flexible rebooking.
- Cons: shared orbit and schedule, a 50 kg minimum price that is high for single CubeSats, strict rideshare rules and long deliverable timelines.
If the SSO drop-off does not match your target, an orbital transfer vehicle can help, and a dedicated small launcher is the alternative.
Frequently asked questions
How much does SpaceX rideshare cost?
$350,000 for 50 kg to SSO plus $7,000 per additional kilogram, according to SpaceX.
How often do SpaceX rideshare missions fly?
SpaceX says SSO missions fly approximately every four months, with frequent launches to mid-inclination orbits.
Can I book SpaceX rideshare online?
Yes, SpaceX lets customers search flights and reserve online.
When must my satellite arrive?
Rideshare payloads are received at the launch site around 30 days before launch.
What happens if my satellite is late?
Payments can be applied to a future mission, subject to a 5 to 10% rebooking fee.
Related reading
Sources
Cover image: NASA astronaut Frank Rubio installs a NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer inside the Kibo module of the ISS, April 2023. Credit: NASA (iss069e004397), public domain.