APOGEE STAFF
The Falcon 9 rocket made by SpaceX is the go-to launch platform for government and commercial space interests in the United States as well as spacefaring nations across the world. The lion’s share of the 350-plus Falcon 9 launches carried payloads for SpaceX’s own sweeping Starlink internet constellation and U.S. government customers such as NASA and Space Force. With variations of Falcon 9 as its workhorse, SpaceX has been chosen through the U.S. National Security Space Launch program to split launch services through 2024 and likely beyond with fellow contractors including United Launch Alliance.
But since its founding in 2002, SpaceX also has attracted business from overseas as it remade the space industry with its low-cost launch services. On its website, alongside SpaceX sweatshirts and water bottles, the company offers to place small satellites in sun-synchronous orbit at a “Cost as low as $300,000” for 50 kilograms, “with additional mass at $6k/kg.”
Even as other commercial ventures follow in its footsteps — Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Astra, Firefly Aerospace, ABL Space Systems and Rocket Lab, among them — SpaceX and the Falcon 9 have proven so reliable that customers in other nations turn to the rocket as a backup when their first choice hits a bump.
Here, in chronological order, is a sampling of nations that have hired SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for launch services. Most launches were to low Earth orbit, and all were from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center in Florida or the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
THAILAND, Thaicom 6
The satellite launched in January 2014, providing broadcast and data services over Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Thaicom had its first launch in 1991 and is a leading Asian satellite operator.
HONG KONG, AsiaSat 8
Launched in August 2014, AsiaSat 8 has been leased for services including direct-to-home television, private networks and broadband services.
TURKMENISTAN, TurkmenÄlem 52°E/MonacoSat
Jointly owned by Turkmenistan and Space Systems International-Monaco, this satellite provides digital broadcasting, telephone communications and other services to Central Asia, Iran, Turkey, North Africa and Europe. Originally set to launch aboard a Chinese rocket, the U.S. blocked shipment of certain parts for the rocket and a Falcon 9 placed it into orbit instead in April 2015.
BULGARIA, BulgariaSat-1
Launched in June 2017, BulgariaSat-1 provides direct-to-home television and data communication services in the Balkans, the Middle East, North America and Europe.
TAIWAN, Formosat-5
Built and operated by the National Space Organization of Taiwan, the remote sensing satellite is used, in part, to study the behavior of plasma within Earth’s ionosphere. Launch was in August 2017.
LUXEMBOURG, SES-16 (GovSat-1)
A joint venture of Luxembourg satellite operator SES and the government of Luxembourg, SES-16 launched in January 2018 and serves government and institutional customers with military, security and civilian applications.
SPAIN, Hispasat 30W-6
Launched in March 2018, this satellite serves television, radio and aerospace customers across two broad regions: in Canada to Patagonia, not including Brazil, and in much of Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula, along with northwest Africa and Atlantic islands.
BANGLADESH, Bangabandhu Satellite-1
The nation’s first satellite, launched May 11, 2018, was seen as a boost to the economy, offering direct-to-home TV, radio, telemedicine, education and internet access in Bangladesh and neighboring Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan.
INDONESIA, Telkom-4 (Merah Putih)
This satellite was a replacement for the aging Telkom-1 after a failure disrupted service to thousands of ATMs and electronic card payment machines. Launched in August 2018, Telkom-4 serves South Asia, including Indonesia.
ARGENTINA, SAOCOM 1A
The Satélite Argentino de Observación Con Microondas is operated by the nation’s space agency as part of a joint network with Italy, enabling services such as emergency management. It launched in October 2018.
QATAR, Es’hail 2
The payload, launched in November 2018, included transponders to link amateur radio operators from Brazil to Thailand.
SAUDI ARABIA, Arabsat 6A
This communications satellite was launched in April 2019 atop a Space X Falcon Heavy rocket, essentially three Falcon 9s strapped side-to-side, to reach the higher geosynchronous orbit. Based in Riyadh, Arabsat was founded by the Arab League’s 21 member nations.
CANADA, RADARSAT Constellation
These three Canadian Space Agency satellites provide images of Canada and the Arctic up to four times a day and track maritime vessels, among other uses. It was launched in June 2019.
GERMANY, Exolaunch
The first launch in SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program carried a payload including 30 satellites in June 2020 for Berlin-based mission manager Exolaunch and for its commercial, space agency and university customers. Previously, Exolaunch had relied heavily on Russian rockets.
SOUTH KOREA, ANASIS-II
This July 2020 launch for the Army carried the nation’s first military communications satellite, ANASIS II — short for Army, Navy, Air Force Satellite Information System. SpaceX is routinely recovering and reusing Falcon 9 boosters.
ITALY, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation
This Earth observation satellite developed for the Italian space, defense and education ministries was launched in January 2022. Uses include environmental protection, defense and security, and maritime surveillance.
EGYPT, Nilesat 301
The satellite was developed for Egyptian operator Nilesat and expanded the company’s broadcast services to southern Africa and the Nile Basin. It launched in June 2022.
FRANCE, Hotbird 13F
The first Eurostar Neo class of satellites was developed for Paris-based operator Eutelsat under a European Space Agency partnership. Launched in October 2022, it delivers television service to homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
UNITED KINGDOM, OneWeb
The London-based internet constellation company orbited a payload of 40 satellites in December 2022. It was OneWeb’s first launch with SpaceX after the Ukraine invasion prompted the company to end its launch deal with Russia.
JAPAN, Hakatu-R Mission 1
What was to be the first commercial landing on the moon, by Ispace Inc. of Japan, launched in December 2022 along with research satellites from Canada and the U.S. Controllers lost contact with the lander as it neared the moon’s surface in April 2023.
ISRAEL, EROS C-3
Launched in December 2022, this Earth observation satellite operated by government-owned Israeli Aerospace Industries carries a camera providing very-high-resolution imagery for government and business uses.
Sources: NASA, SpaceX, SkyBroker, Aerospace Technology, Airforce Technology, AMSAT-UK, Arabsat, Canadian Space Agency, TechCrunch, Exolaunch, Space.com, Thales Group, Oneweb, Airbus, Ispace Inc., Israeli Aerospace Industries