Some satellite companies still have an appetite for boutique launch services
Credit: Isar Aerospace Nine propane-fueled engines power Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket off its launch pad in Norway. This is despite the blistering launch cadence we’ve seen around the world in recent years, led by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Customers in any sector will, of course, usually welcome competition.
- ▪Credit: Isar Aerospace Nine propane-fueled engines power Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket off its launch pad in Norway.
- ▪This is despite the blistering launch cadence we’ve seen around the world in recent years, led by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
- ▪Customers in any sector will, of course, usually welcome competition.
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| Canonical URL | https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/some-satellite-companies-still-have-an-appetite-for-boutique-launch-services/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:34:45 +0000 |
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Uber or bus? Some satellite companies still have an appetite for boutique launch servicesvar abtest_2171442 = new ABTest(2171442, 'click'); “Dedicated launch is pretty essential for us for most of our missions.” Stephen Clark – Sep 11, 2026 7:34 pm | 0 Nine propane-fueled engines power Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket off its launch pad in Norway. Credit: Isar Aerospace Nine propane-fueled engines power Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket off its launch pad in Norway. Credit: Isar Aerospace Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav If you ask most satellite companies aside from SpaceX, they will tell you the world doesn’t have enough capacity for launching payloads into orbit.
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