As the name suggests, the initiative resembles a kind of UberPool for satellites, allowing different operators to hitch a ride into space on the same rocket and split the cost, rather than having to invest upwards of $60 million to charter an individual rocket.
Under the SmallSat Rideshare Program, it costs only $1 million to send a 200-kilogram spacecraft into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), which houses imaging, military and weather satellites.
SpaceX aims to serve this orbit via a regular service every four months, in a bid to provide increased access to space for small satellite operators seeking a reliable, affordable ride to orbit .
SpaceX launches 143 spacecraft as a new era space race continues
Consumers are likely to benefit from the new rush to space, particularly in communications services 01/25/2021
Photo (c) Sundry Photography - Getty ImagesElon Musk’s SpaceX launched 143 spacecraft on Sunday morning the most satellites sent skyward in a single launch to support the company’s new budget-minded SmallSat Rideshare Program.
Don’t let the word “rideshare” throw you off and leave you thinking about booking a weekend trip to sunny Saturn. In the SmallSat way of life, “rideshare” simply means that a group of microsatellites is going along for the ride when SpaceX sends a rocket into space.
SpaceX lanza un Falcon 9 con un cargamento récord de 143 satélites rt.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rt.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.