SAN FRANCISCO – Swarm Technologies is working with Exolaunch of Germany to send 24 SpaceBee satellites into orbit on the SpaceX Falcon 9 small satellite rideshare mission scheduled to launch in December.
Swarm won FCC approval to offer global internet-of-things service with a constellation of 150 Spacebee satellites, which are one-quarter the size of a single cubesat.
Exolaunch, a rideshare launch and satellite deployment company based in Berlin, will handle launch, integration and deployment of SpaceBee satellites in sun-synchronous orbit, according to an Aug. 3 news release.
Earlier this year, Exolaunch announced an agreement with SpaceX to send multiple small satellites into orbit on the December rideshare flight.
For the December launch, Exolaunch plans to integrate microsatellites and cubesats on a Falcon 9 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter port and to send the satellites into orbit with EXOpod, the firm’s proprietary deployment system.
After integrating SpaceBEEs into EXOpod at Swarm’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, Exolaunch will mate the satellites with the launch vehicle at SpaceX facilities in Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to the news release.
“Our team, experienced in handling large constellations of satellites, is ready to utilize its launch expertise and deployers to arrange the rides to space for Swarm aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9,” Jeanne Medvedeva, Exolaunch commercial director, said in a statement.
