Lunasonde, a startup that focuses on subsurface imaging from space, and Exolaunch, a global leader in rideshare launch, deployment and integration services for small satellites, announce the launch agreements to fly a portion of the Gossamer satellite constellation to a sun-synchronous orbit aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter missions in 2022.
Though resources such as water and minerals power our world, there is no sustainable way to locate them and no scalable way to map them. Lunasonde is the next frontier in resource exploration, solving the problem of subsurface uncertainty by creating true 3D maps up to two kilometers underground. Lunasonde can locate groundwater, mineral deposits, and other geological resources and collects this data remotely via its Gossamer satellites. This idea was developed by Jeremiah Pate, CEO of Lunasonde, back in 2016 when he was still at high school, and gained support from Seraphim Capital and Techstars.
“Lunasonde’s solution was built with sustainability in mind – we remotely explore for resources without disrupting the planet,” said Jeremiah Pate, CEO and Founder of Lunasonde. “Our ability to pinpoint resources quickly, cost effectively, and sustainably will only increase in importance in the years to come. We’re excited to partner with Exolaunch and SpaceX to launch the first satellites of our constellation.”
“We are privileged to provide our vast experience in launch and deployment services for Lunasonde’s Gossamer mission through the rideshare program of SpaceX,” said Jeanne Medvedeva, Vice President of Launch Services at Exolaunch. “We value working with the companies empowering socially responsible business cases and contributing to great causes. Lunasonde is an extremely promising New Space company with a strong scientific and technological background. We are pleased that they have chosen Exolaunch as a trusted launch partner thus gaining access to our solid expertise and high-performing deployment technologies.”
With a decade of flight heritage and launch experience, Exolaunch provides rideshare launch, deployment, integration and in-space transportation services for the fast-growing New Space industry. Now, the company fully manifests its missions for years ahead constantly complementing the manifest by additional missions in response to an exponentially growing demand, a sign of trust and loyalty from the industry-leading customers.
The Lunasonde Gossamer satellites will fly on the rideshare missions that Exolaunch is manifesting on Falcon 9 throughout 2022 enabled by a Multi-Launch Agreement with SpaceX. The satellites will be safely delivered into orbit via Exolaunch’s comprehensive mission management and proprietary deployment technologies.