Two rideshare operators — SEOPS and Exolaunch — have purchased dedicated SpaceX Falcon 9 missions to run their own rideshare missions.
Both companies announced the deals on Tuesday during Smallsat Europe, with Exolaunch buying two Falcon 9 launches, and SEOPS purchasing one. Both companies explained the dedicated missions as a way to increase options for a pressured smallsat launch market.
German rideshare provider Exolaunch plans for Exo-1 and Exo-2 to launch no earlier than late 2027 and 2028, respectively.
“For the first time, Exolaunch has procured dedicated launches from SpaceX to create new shared launch opportunities for the industry,” said Jeanne Allarie, chief investor relations officer at Exolaunch. “With Exo-1 and Exo-2, our customers will have predictable and reliable launch opportunities enabled by Exolaunch and our ecosystem of flight-proven deployment technologies, including EXOtube.”
U.S.-based SEOPS booked the dedicated Falcon 9 to kick off a new dedicated rideshare program from the company called Waymaker. The inaugural Waymaker mission, Waymaker-1, is targeted to launch in 2028.
SEOPS said Waymaker is designed for time-sensitive and non-standard payloads outside of the traditional rideshare constraints. The service includes integration, mission management, and in-orbit services.
French mission management company RIDE! secured 1,000 kilograms of capacity on the first mission.
The company is also planning dedicated rideshare to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) through its Darkstar rideshare program, announced in 2024. The first Darkstar mission is targeted for 2028.
“Waymaker missions act as a relief valve for the growing LEO rideshare market,” said SEOPS CEO Chad Brinkley. “Waymaker and Darkstar rideshare missions give customers more opportunities and certainty that their spacecraft can launch when they want and SEOPS is focused on ensuring their mission success.”
