CubeSat RideShare Program Announced by GEC
The first CubeSat RideShare Program mission for Geometric Energy Corporation (GEC) will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than June 2022, according to the company. Geometric-1 will launch a 12 x 6U CubeSat adapter plate into low Earth orbit, offering affordable 6U CubeSats aimed especially at startups and smaller budget projects.
The Rideshare Program is intended "to lower the cost barrier for startups and smaller budget launches, especially those that help to fulfill our company's mandate of transforming civilization for the better."
GEC CEO Samuel Reid.
The CubeSat RideShare Program is intended "to lower the cost barrier for startups and smaller budget launches, especially those that help to fulfill our company's mandate of transforming civilization for the better," according to GEC CEO Samuel Reid. Accordingly, in addition to more commercially oriented projects, some of the mission's CubeSats are intended for geoponics research that advances sustainable agriculture. Reid stresses that expanding access to space beyond governments and large corporations is the RideShare Program's "regulative, guiding ideal." But insists that such expansion requires "not only ensuring that space missions are financially accessible to even smaller budget projects, but also that we prioritize projects that aim to enhance humanity at large."
To achieve that ideal, along with its subsidiary company, Geometric Space Corporation, GEC is proud to receive support from the integration partner Maverick Space. Maverick Space will ensure ESPA port access for the following companies that are set to partake in the mission: JRA Holdings, Red Rock Unlimited, POINTBLANK Company, as supported by GURACORP, Alpha Cube Sat (ACS) supported by Xtraordinary Innovative Space Partnerships, Inc. (XISP-Inc.)., and Marcantonio Global LLC as supported by the Defense Technology Innovation Program.
Reid says that Geometric-1 will be the first of many missions within its burgeoning RideShare Program.
Geometric Space provides US and Canadian companies an affordable barrier for entry into the space market. Through an innovative blend of CubeSat form factor type payloads, multi-party integration, and mission cost optimization, Geometric Space minimizes financial requirements for space start-ups, the company says.
(Source: GEC news release. Image from file provided by SpaceX)