RIDE! expands its rideshare program to the Maia launcher

RIDE! has signed a commercial contract with MaiaSpace, expanding its rideshare program to the Maia launcher. Under the contract, RIDE! will aggregate demand from its small satellite operator base and support the integration of compatible auxiliary payloads on selected Maia missions, giving small satellite operators additional opportunities to reach orbit.

With a 3.5 meter fairing and up to 4 tons of performance, Maia is poised to bundle auxiliary payloads into compatible main missions. RIDE!’s access to a wide range of customers requiring auxiliary payload opportunities will leverage and create a service tailored to meet the demand of this growing ecosystem.

Demand for small satellite launches continues to outpace the capacity available on the market, and operators increasingly plan missions around launch dates rather than the other way round. Wait times between booking and launch now run up to 36 months, compared with 12 to 24 months a year ago.. By signing before Maia's first flight, RIDE! also gives operators early visibility on a new set of launch opportunities, enhancing RIDE!’s current portfolio. 

"RIDE!'s rideshare program exists to match smallsat missions with the right launcher. Maia can adapt to these mission profiles and that's exactly what we are looking for. We keep working each day to ease launch supply constraints, and partnering with the new generation of launchers is key to that," said Valentin Benoit, CEO of RIDE!

"Welcoming RIDE! and its customers aboard Maia is a natural extension of our commitment to flexible launch services. This contract demonstrates how Maia’s modular architecture can support different mission configurations: constellations, dedicated launches, and auxiliary payloads on compatible Maia primary missions." said Michael Callari, MaiaSpace Chief Business Officer.

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ABOUT RIDE!

‍RIDE! is a Paris-based launch services company providing end-to-end mission management for satellite operators. Through its network of 35+ launch providers across North America, Europe, and Asia, RIDE! coordinates every step of the launch process for clients in over 50 countries. Founded in 2020, the company holds framework agreements with more than 7 launch providers, launched 45+ payloads, and is supported by the European Space Agency and CNES.

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ABOUT MAIASPACE

Founded in April 2022, MaiaSpace designs, manufactures, commercializes and operates the first reusable and eco-designed mini launcher in Europe, which prefigurates the future family of sovereign and competitive European launch vehicles. MaiaSpace leverages the best of both worlds: drawing on the excellence and expertise of the historic European space sector, especially that of its mother company ArianeGroup, while maintaining the speed, agility and culture of risk of a start-up. Powered with liquid oxygen and liquid bio-methane, MaiaSpace’s launcher has a lift-off capacity of up to 4,000 kg in Low-Earth Orbit, depending on the launcher version (expendable or reusable), the inclination and the use of its Colibri kick-stage. The development of Maia is led by over 400 MaiaSpacers working with industrial partners based in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and Poland.