• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • NEWS:
  • SatNews
  • SatMagazine
  • MilSatMagazine
  • SmallSat News
  • |     EVENTS:
  • SmallSat Symposium
  • Satellite Innovation
  • MilSat Symposium

SatNews

  • HOME
  • Magazines
  • Events
  • SmallSat Europe Insights
  • Industry Calendar
    • IN PERSON
    • VIRTUAL
  • Subscribe

Exolaunch’s Big One Ton Load Of Smallsats Sent Into Orbit via SpaceX’s Transporter-2

June 16, 2021

Exolaunch, has just completed its launch campaign named ‘Fingerspitzengefühl’* by integrating 29 small satellites from the USA, Europe and South America aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rideshare mission scheduled for June 2021. With a combined mass of close to one ton, Exolaunch doubles its mass capacity from SpaceX’s previous rideshare for small satellites, making ‘Fingerspitzengefühl’ its largest mission in terms of payload mass to date. This will also be one of the most diverse rideshare missions for the company bringing the total number of satellites launched by Exolaunch to 170. Exolaunch  a launch, deployment and in-space transportation services provider in the NewSpace sector,

Cubesat Deployer
The EXOpod cubesat deployer is the most advanced cubesat deployment system on the market. EXOpod is available in 12U and 16U sizes, and can be configured with up to four independent slots. EXOpods have a number of features which expand the limits of the Cubesat Design Specification (CDS):

Exolaunch’s rideshare cluster includes payloads with cutting-edge technologies for IoT, Earth Observation and scientific applications, and satellites from its international customers such as Loft Orbital, NanoAvionics, ICEYE, and the TU Berlin. Exolaunch is also providing flight hardware, separation systems and integration services to support Satellogic’s four microsatellites on this mission.

This is the second dedicated rideshare mission of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program and also the second of a series of rideshares Exolaunch is manifesting on Falcon 9 as part of a Multi-Launch Agreement the company signed with SpaceX in 2020. On SpaceX’s first record-breaking dedicated rideshare mission Transporter-1 earlier this year Exolaunch launched 30 contracted satellites. For every Falcon 9 launch procured through the Multi-Launch Agreement with SpaceX, Exolaunch ensures comprehensive rideshare mission management, satellite integration and deployment services for its customers.

“This is a powerful NewSpace transatlantic partnership between SpaceX and Exolaunch,” said Jeanne Medvedeva, Vice President of Launch Services at Exolaunch. “Being an integrator for Falcon 9 launches, with the advanced flight hardware and deployment technologies in our product portfolio, allows us to serve even the most demanding NewSpace customers who prioritize performance, reliability and innovation to procured launch services. This latest mission shows the trust our customers have in our vast experience in rideshare launches and ability to perform skillfully and professionally.” 

Connor Jonas, Exolaunch’s Program Manager said, “This has been Exolaunch’s most demanding and technically sophisticated mission. For this mission we are using the full range of our product line: four EXOport adapters, ten CarboNIX separation systems and two EXOpod cubesat deployers. We have worked with the entire capacity of a SpaceX ESPA Ring to deploy one ton of customers’ payloads using only Exolaunch technology. This mission was challenging as we had to develop new technical solutions for such a large and diverse cluster, and find a way to deliver twice the hardware in half the time. Despite these challenges, our expert team delivered on time and pulled off an exceptionally smooth integration campaign at Cape Canaveral.”

To maximize payload capacity and cost-effectiveness for its customers of this mission, Exolaunch will use its recent product addition, EXOport, a flexible multi-satellite adapter designed to optimally accommodate microsatellites and cubesats on a single Falcon 9 ESPA port. The company will also utilize its proprietary flight-proven separation systems – CarboNIX, the next generation shock-free separation system for microsatellites, and the EXOpod, Exolaunch’s upgraded cubesat deployer with half a decade of flight heritage, to flawlessly deploy its customers’ satellites into the target orbit.

“‘Fingerspitzengefühl’ on Transporter-2 symbolizes Exolaunch’s vast experience in successfully deploying our customers’ satellites into orbit,” said Medvedeva. “It’s also a continuation of the individual mission names that started with ‘Zeitgeist’, literally ‘Spirit of the Time’, Exolaunch’s previous rideshare launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in January 2021.”

Starting next year, due to entry of the Reliant orbital transfer vehicle into the space tug market, Exolaunch will be able to meet the most ambitious requirements of its customers wishing to deploy satellite constellations to custom orbits by adjusting altitude, inclination, LTAN/LTDN, and performing orbital phasing. It is designed to deorbit shortly after deployment completion, minimizing the risks of space collisions and reducing orbital debris. Future generations of Reliant will also be able to perform on-demand active debris removal. 

____________________________________________

* ‘Fingerspitzengefühl’ – a German term, literally “finger tips feeling”; meaning intuitive flair/instinct.–

Filed Under: Imaging, IoT, Launch, Launch Vehicle

Primary Sidebar

Most Read Stories

  • In celebration of Juneteenth
  • Wishing Everyone a Happy July 4th … Independence Day, U.S.A.
  • Eutelsat's efforts to obtain funding to save OneWeb
  • Forrester's Digest: Starlink active in Iran
  • Startical launches the firm's 2nd demo satellite — IOD-2

About Satnews

  • Contacts
  • History

Archives

  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020

Secondary Sidebar

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
x
Sign up Now (For Free)
Access daily or weekly satellite news updates covering all aspects of the commercial and military satellite industry.
Invalid email address
Notify Me Regarding ( At least one ):
We value your privacy and will not sell or share your email or other information with any other company. You may also unsubscribe at anytime.

Click Here to see our full privacy policy.
Thanks for subscribing!