While SpaceX waits to get its space-tourism business up and running, they’ve decided to focus on non-human cargo.

Until now, the company has focused mainly on launching heavier, larger satellites into space, or bulky cargo capsules which end up at the International Space Station.

They’re clearly still buzzing from the success of the recent Falcon Heavy launch, and now the new program, called the SmallSat Rideshare Program, will offer operators of tiny satellites more flexibility when launching to space.

Here’s The Verge:

Typically, small satellites — weighing in at a few hundred pounds — have to hitch rides on big rockets that are already slated to launch much larger cargo to orbit. The satellites can tag along if there’s any leftover room on the rocket and get dropped off in space along the way.

However, these ride-shares aren’t always ideal for small satellite operators, as they are reliant on the main satellite or payload being ready for launch. Plus, the operators don’t get to dictate the exact orbit they want and often have to compromise on the final destination for their satellites.

SpaceX is proposing a series of Falcon 9 missions that don’t have a primary satellite.

Instead, these flights will carry a series of small satellites that can weigh between 330 pounds (150 kilograms) to 660 pounds (300 kilograms). The small satellites will ride into space attached to ports on a payload deployer, a metallic tube mounted on top of the rocket. There’s even a port on top of the deployer that can accommodate a larger satellite if necessary…

Once in orbit, each satellite will be deployed into space one by one by the tube. As of now, SpaceX is offering rides out of California to a type of orbit known as Sun-synchronous orbit — a low path above Earth that syncs with the timing of the Sun.

If you’re interested in sending your satellite up with SpaceX, here’s how much it will cost you:

Makes those extra kilos you paid for on your last SAA flight seem like a pittance.

SpaceX claims to be committed to serving the commercial market, so they’re offering quite a few different options:

The company is also offering flexible timing. SpaceX says satellites can be added to a ride-share mission as few as six months beforehand, though extra costs will apply. Satellites can opt to drop out of the mission, too, and rebook for a later flight — for a fee, of course. If a few operators do need to drop out of a mission, it shouldn’t affect the mission’s schedule.

“Dedicated ride-share missions will not be delayed by co-passenger readiness,” SpaceX writes on its website.

Here you are feeling fancy for calling an UberBlack, and Space X is letting companies ride-share satellites into space.

What a time to be alive.

[source:verge]