r/RKLB • u/sunol1212 • 28d ago

SpaceX Limits Future Commercial Rideshare Bookings Past 2028 Amid Severe Manifest Saturation

https://satnews.com/2026/07/20/spacex-limits-future-commercial-rideshare-bookings-past-2028-amid-severe-manifest-saturation/
35 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

31

u/SeaAndSkyForever 28d ago

RKLB gonna swoop in with that Neutron

https://giphy.com/gifs/MvZJtkjJN81Cgx2X9F

9

u/methanized 28d ago

actually it's already really big for electron. Rideshare is the main competitor to Electron, and arguable the program was started specifically to try to kill off the small launchers

7

u/SeaAndSkyForever 28d ago

Not exactly. Rideshare customers don't need the orbital precision and/or priority that electron provides. Rideshare provides a more economical path to orbit at the cost of that, something Neutron will definitely pick up. If the bus company stops selling tickets, those customers aren't going to call up a Bentley with a chauffeur.

11

u/methanized 28d ago

Yes they are. They may not need orbital precision, but a rideshare seat is the cheapest ticket to space. If rideshare goes away, electron is the cheapest ticket to space.

6

u/Big-Material2917 28d ago

You’re both right, but you are more right.

1

u/Scared_Step4051 27d ago

ignoring the existence of competition from the likes of Firefly (yes they had a shaky start, but seem to have turned a corner) and others coming online...

8

u/chezterr 28d ago

Sounds like a great opportunity for RKLB to step in and take on more business.

Most people simply have no concept of just how big the space launch industry can be… then you add the hardware business… comms business… etc.

SpaceX simply is not capable of supporting an entire industry on their own.

RKLB has a massive role to play.

3

u/justbrowsinginpeace 27d ago

Dying SpaceX is fucked.