German launch aggregator Exolaunch has partnered with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to offer free launch services for two cubesats.
The partnership with Exolaunch is part of UNOOSA’s Access to Space for All initiative, which was launched in 2018. This initiative offers opportunities for United Nations member states to access space, with the aim of ensuring that the benefits of space are truly accessible to everyone. To date, the initiative has directly supported four countries in launching their first satellites.
In January, the pair signed an agreement to offer free launch services to UN member states. On 26 June, UNOOSA announced the partnership’s first-round opportunity, which will involve the launch of two 1U to 3U CubeSats aboard the Exolaunch EXOpod deployment system. The company has conducted over 20 missions with its EXOpod system, deploying over 250 satellites.
“Payload hosting and deployment opportunities, such as this, serve as catalysts for the establishment of national space ecosystems, the creation of space agencies, the registration of space objects, creation of indigenous satellites, and new national laws,” UNOOSA director Aarti Holla Maini said in a statement. “We’re grateful for Exolaunch’s valuable contribution to UNOOSA’s Access to Space for All initiative and are confident that this will help countries on their space-faring journey.”
Exolaunch is currently preparing for the launch of its largest mission of 2024, which will be launched aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-11 rideshare mission later this month. The mission will include the deployment of 42 small satellites for 23 customers from around the world.
