Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to undertake its first launch of European satellites equipped with classified technology, specifically for the Galileo system.
Europe Reluctantly Chooses SpaceX to Launch Its GPS Satellites::Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to undertake its first launch of European satellites equipped with classified technology, specifically for the Galileo system.
In 20 years, the EU have spent 10 billion in taxpayer money to send only 26 satellites to orbit (almost 400 million each). A SpaceX Falcon 9 can send almost 10 Galileo satellites to MEO at once for 62 million. So the question is not why they are hiring SpaceX now but why haven’t they used SpaceX before?
(Falcon 9’s capacity to MEO is 8,000 kg, and the typical Galileo satellite weighs 738 kg).
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In 20 years, the EU have spent 10 billion in taxpayer money to send only 26 satellites to orbit (almost 400 million each). A SpaceX Falcon 9 can send almost 10 Galileo satellites to MEO at once for 62 million. So the question is not why they are hiring SpaceX now but why haven’t they used SpaceX before?
(Falcon 9’s capacity to MEO is 8,000 kg, and the typical Galileo satellite weighs 738 kg).