Max Q: SpaceX’s Bandwagon program is a big deal, actually

Hello and welcome back to Max Q!

In this issue:

• SpaceX’s new rideshare program
• News from India’s space agency and more

SpaceX’s new Bandwagon program is a big threat to small launch providers

SpaceX is expanding its rideshare program with a new series of missions aimed at meeting the demand for launches to mid-inclination orbits. The new program, which was quietly announced at a space industry conference earlier this month, is the latest sign that SpaceX intends to take no prisoners in the small launch market.

Image Credits: Getty Images / NASA / Bill Ingalls

More news from across TC

• Intuitive Machines set a November launch date for its first-ever lander mission to the moon.
• Rocket Lab will launch a pair of climate satellites for NASA, which could help scientists better model the effects of a warming world on the massive ice sheets at the Earth’s poles.
• The Pentagon is urging U.S. space companies to stay vigilant against foreign intelligence entities, which could access or exploit space tech via investments.
• True Anomaly got the regulatory greenlight to perform key capabilities as it seeks to enable on-orbit satellite reconnaissance.

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