How Much Does It Cost to Launch a Satellite?
Short answer: It depends almost entirely on mass and whether you buy a seat or the whole rocket. A 50 kg smallsat rides on a SpaceX Transporter mission for about $350,000 (roughly $7,000 per additional kilogram); a 150 kg satellite costs around $1 million to launch on rideshare. A dedicated small launcher such as Electron is about $8 million for up to ~300 kg to your exact orbit. A dedicated Falcon 9 lists at about $74 million and carries up to 22,800 kg to low Earth orbit (roughly $3,250 per kilogram for whoever fills it), while a heavy geostationary communications satellite launched to GTO typically pays $70–120 million.
List and rideshare prices as of 2026-09-01. Figures track the launch cost guide; contract prices vary.
Price by option
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Smallsat, 50 kg, rideshare to SSO | ~$350k | SpaceX Transporter minimum; ~$7,000/kg above 50 kg |
| Smallsat, 150 kg, rideshare | ~$1M | Plus integration, transport and insurance: see the hidden costs |
| Dedicated small launch (Electron, ~300 kg) | ~$8M | Your orbit, your schedule |
| Dedicated Falcon 9 (up to 22.8 t LEO) | ~$74M | About $3,246/kg at full payload |
| GEO comsat to GTO (Falcon 9 / Ariane 6 / Vulcan) | $70M–$120M | Heavier satellites and higher-energy orbits; dual-manifest on Ariane 64 shares the bill |
| Falcon Heavy, dedicated | ~$97M | For very heavy or direct-to-GEO missions |
The costs that are not on the price list
- Integration, deployer and range/campaign fees, often $100,000–$300,000 for a smallsat.
- Launch insurance at 5–10 % of the insured value for proven vehicles; many operators self-insure smallsats.
- Transport in a conditioned container, cleanroom rental at the site, and a chaperone team for weeks.
- An orbital transfer vehicle or onboard propulsion if the rideshare drop-off orbit is not the one you need.
- Licensing (FCC/ITU, NOAA if imaging, export control if launching abroad).
Frequently asked
How much does SpaceX charge to launch a satellite?
Rideshare starts at about $350,000 for 50 kg on Transporter missions, roughly $7,000 per kilogram beyond that. A dedicated Falcon 9 lists at about $74M; Falcon Heavy about $97M. Government missions cost more.
How much does it cost per kilogram to launch a satellite?
Roughly $3,246 per kilogram on a full dedicated Falcon 9, about $7,000 per kilogram on rideshare, about $25,000 per kilogram on a dedicated small launcher like Electron, and a target of $100–$500 per kilogram on Starship at mature flight rates.
Can I launch a satellite for free?
Sometimes: NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, ESA educational programmes, and sponsored rideshare competitions fly selected research payloads at no launch cost. Commercial payloads pay.
Run your own numbers
Mass, orbit, vehicle, insurance: the calculator does the delivered-cost math.
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