How Much Does It Cost to Launch a 100 kg Smallsat?
Short answer: About $700k on a rideshare: 100 kg is twice SpaceX's 50 kg minimum, so you pay the $7,000 per kilogram rate (2026 flights) straight through and get dropped in the mission's orbit, typically sun-synchronous. If you need your own orbit or date, a dedicated Electron carries up to 300 kg; Rocket Lab publishes no list price, and at its average launch revenue of about $9.2M that is $92,000/kg for a 100 kg satellite flying alone, roughly 13 times the rideshare price. A dedicated Falcon 9 at $74M only makes sense for a whole plane of them.
List and rideshare prices as of 2026-10-11. Figures track the launch cost guide; contract prices vary.
Price by option
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX rideshare (Transporter / Bandwagon), 100 kg | ~$700k | $7,000/kg for 2026 flights; the mission's orbit, the mission's date |
| Dedicated Electron, 100 kg as the only payload | about $9.2M | Rocket Lab publishes no Electron list price. Its launch revenue averaged about $9.2M per launch in the first half of 2026 (Electron and HASTE together). $92,000/kg effective at 100 kg. |
| Dedicated Falcon 9 | $74M | The whole vehicle (22,800 kg to LEO, expendable); only sensible for a constellation plane |
| Starship | No published price | Elon Musk's stated long-run goal is under $nullM a launch, about $0/kg at 100 t: a target, not a price. SpaceX sells no Starship launches yet. Starship is still flying test missions (it first reached orbit on Flight 14, September 28, 2026, SpaceX reported). |
The costs that are not on the price list
- Separation system and integration: SpaceX's own price list charges extra for a separation system, and fit checks and the campaign team at the launch site are billed on top of the per-kilogram rate.
- Orbit adjustment: if the rideshare drop-off orbit is not the one you need, onboard propulsion or an orbital transfer vehicle is your bill.
- Transport in a conditioned container, cleanroom time at the site and a team on site for weeks.
- Launch insurance, if you buy it; many smallsat operators self-insure.
- Licensing: spectrum (FCC/ITU), remote sensing if you image, and export control if you launch abroad.
Frequently asked
Is rideshare or a dedicated launch cheaper for a 100 kg satellite?
Rideshare, by roughly an order of magnitude: about $700k against the roughly $9.2M Rocket Lab averaged per launch. You pay the dedicated premium for orbit, schedule and primary-payload status, not for the kilograms.
What orbit does a rideshare put a 100 kg satellite in?
Whatever the mission is flying: SpaceX's open Transporter flights are to sun-synchronous orbits of 500 to 600 km. Operators who need a different plane or altitude budget for propulsion or a transfer vehicle.
How long before launch do I need to book?
When we checked on October 11, 2026, SpaceX's rideshare site listed its next open sun-synchronous flights for June and October 2027. Book once mass and volume are frozen, well before the satellite is finished.
Run your own numbers
Mass, orbit, vehicle, insurance: the calculator does the delivered-cost math.
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Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. Prices change; dates show when each was published or read.
- SpaceX rideshare price list: $7,000/kg for 2026 flights, $7,500/kg for 2027, 50 kg minimum (SpaceX (rideshare price list behind rideshare.spacex.com), 2026-10-11)
- SpaceX rideshare flights open for booking (next: June and October 2027, sun-synchronous) (SpaceX (rideshare booking site data), 2026-10-11)
- Rocket Lab launch revenue averaged $9.2M per launch in the first half of 2026 (Rocket Lab Form 10-Q (six months to June 30, 2026), 2026-08-10)
- Falcon 9 standard price: $74M through 2026 for up to 5.5 t to GTO (Spaceflight Now (reporting SpaceX Capabilities and Services page), 2026-02-24)
- Falcon 9 payload figures (22,800 kg to LEO expendable, 8,300 kg to GTO) (SpaceX, 2026-10-09)
- Starship goal and Flight 14 (vehicle catalogue entry) (SpaceX, 2026-09-28)
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