US-based satellite operator Loft Orbital has signed a multi-launch agreement with ArianeGroup subsidiary MaiaSpace. Although the announcement provided few details, it did share that the first flight was expected in 2028.
In an 8 July press release, MaiaSpace explained that the multi-launch agreement “consolidates its launch manifest,” adding that the company has now sold more than half of all capacity for its first three years of operation.
To date, all Loft Orbital satellites have been launched aboard SpaceX Transporter rideshare missions. However, according to reporting from SpaceNews, in recent weeks, several customers of these missions have said that SpaceX is not accepting Transporter reservations beyond late 2028 or early 2029. The publication quoted Rocket Lab CFO Adam Spice as saying that there “seems to be a panic setting in.”
While Loft Orbital has some protection against the loss of Transporter capacity through German launch aggregator Exolaunch, with which it has previously worked and which has secured a dedicated SpaceX flight to market as a rideshare mission, the company is likely looking to add further redundancy to its launch manifest. Beyond redundancy, though, a quote from Emmanuelle Meric, general manager of Loft Orbital’s European operations, points to another motivation for selecting a European launch provider.
“As Loft Orbital strengthens its work with public and institutional partners in Europe, choosing a trusted European launch provider is a natural step towards supporting a more sovereign and reliable European space ecosystem,” said Meric.
Despite its growing launch manifest, MaiaSpace has not yet attempted a flight of its Maia rocket. The company is currently working toward a suborbital test flight in early 2027, followed by an initial orbital flight in the second half of 2027. Speaking to European Spaceflight in late June, a MaiaSpace spokesperson explained that it expects to ship elements of the first two flight models to its launch site in French Guiana by the end of the year.
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