← Tracker · Guide · last reviewed 14 Oct 2026
How to get a ride on a SpaceX Transporter
A neutral, sourced walkthrough for smallsat program managers. Only published facts are used; each is cited. Where a figure comes from a secondary source, we say so. Always confirm against SpaceX's current user's guide.
1. What Transporter is
Transporter is SpaceX's dedicated rideshare series to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO); its sister series, Bandwagon, flies to mid-inclination orbits.[3] SpaceX says SSO rideshare missions fly approximately every 4 months, with frequent mid-inclination launches, and invites enquiries for other orbits.[1] For MEO, GTO, TLI or other orbits, SpaceX asks customers to email its rideshare team.[2]
Recent Transporter launches recorded in Launch Library 2: Transporter-14 (23 Jun 2025), -15 (28 Nov 2025), -16 (30 Mar 2026), -17 (7 Jul 2026) and -18 (1 Oct 2026).[3]
Upcoming Transporter missions we track
- Transporter 19 — NET Feb 2027, To Be Determined
- Transporter 20 — NET Jun 2027, To Be Determined
- Transporter 21 — NET Oct 2027, To Be Determined
Dates are NET at the precision published; a "month" date is not a launch day.
2. Two ways to book
Direct with SpaceX. SpaceX takes reservations online: place an order, receive a welcome package, submit a spacecraft data package, then launch processing and launch.[1] As of 14 Oct 2026 the booking portal listed bookable SSO flights dated 1 June 2027 and 1 October 2027 (500–600 km, SSO ±0.1°).[2]
Through an integrator / deployer. Integrators buy capacity and handle deployers, paperwork and integration for smaller payloads such as CubeSats. NewSpace Market lists Exolaunch, D-Orbit, NanoAvionics and Momentus among Transporter deployers[5] — confirm directly with each. See our providers & brokers directory.
3. What you buy: plates and mass
| Configuration | Interface · included mass[1] |
|---|---|
| 1/4 plate | 8" bolt pattern · 50 kg included |
| 1/2 plate | 8" or 15" bolt pattern · 100 kg included |
| Full plate | 15" or 24" bolt pattern · 200 kg included |
| Full plate (XL volume) | 24" bolt pattern · 300 kg included |
The portal states a maximum of 831 kg per port; heavier payloads must contact SpaceX.[2] Larger spacecraft can request custom configurations or "cake topper" slots.[1]
4. Price — published figures only
SpaceX's online calculator gives an estimated price by orbit, date and mass.[2] NewSpace Market's price index, citing SpaceX's published schedule, lists $7,000/kg for 2026 launches and $7,500/kg for 2027 launches, billed from 50 kg, and notes the rate is set by launch year, not booking date.[4]
The same index lists optional services priced separately for 2026 launches: separation systems of $336,800 (8"), $409,970 (15") and $629,600 (24"), and payload fuelling at the launch site at $49,300.[4]
5. Timeline and logistics
- Payloads are received at the launch site around L-30 days and processed in a SpaceX facility.[1]
- If your payload is delayed, SpaceX says you can apply 100% of monies paid toward rebooking on a future mission, subject to a 5–10% rebooking fee.[1]
- Lead time: NewSpace Market suggests 12–18 months for Transporter[5] (secondary). On 14 Oct 2026, the earliest bookable SSO flight in SpaceX's portal was about 7.5 months out.[2]
6. Licensing you'll likely need (US operators)
- Spectrum / satellite authorization — FCC. The FCC Space Bureau authorizes satellite and earth station systems.[6]
- Imaging Earth? — NOAA. NOAA's Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs office licenses private remote sensing space systems under 15 CFR 960 and encourages pre-application consultation.[7]
- Payload review — FAA. The FAA normally performs payload reviews as part of the launch authorization; payload owners may also request an independent payload review.[8]
SpaceX's reservation site also provides licensing information as part of the booking flow.[1] Track new rules on our licensing updates page.
References
- SpaceX, Smallsat Rideshare Program — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- SpaceX Rideshare booking portal (available flights, port mass limit) — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- Launch Library 2 — Transporter launches (search) — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- NewSpace Market, Rideshare & Small Launch Price Index (secondary; cites spacex.com) — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- NewSpace Market, Upcoming Rideshare Missions guide (secondary) — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- FCC Space Bureau — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- NOAA Office of Space Commerce — Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
- FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation — Licenses, Permits and Approvals — retrieved 14 Oct 2026
General information from public sources; not legal, export-control or procurement advice.