Exolaunch to Deploy 22 Satellites on 2026 ‘Twilight’ Rideshare Mission
New Mission Will Place Spacecraft in a Specialized Sun-Synchronous Orbit
When SpaceX launches the ‘Twilight’ rideshare mission in January 2026, it will carry 22 satellites to be deployed to a specialized sun-synchronous orbit by Exolaunch. With this launch, Exolaunch will support satellite deployments on this new dawn-dusk mission, providing clients with dedicated access to this unique sun-synchronous orbit requested by a growing number of Earth Observation, climate monitoring, and technology demonstration missions.
“We’re investing heavily in new deployment technologies, production facilities, and launch capacity to deliver at the scale and speed the market now expects.”
Connor Pollock, Exolaunch
Twilight reflects Exolaunch’s track record of expanding launch mission management expertise, enabling reliable launch access for commercial, institutional, and government customers from Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.
Exolaunch customers onboard this mission benefit from the company’s decade-long expertise in enabling successful launch campaigns and deployments for over 650 satellites to date. The company’s comprehensive launch package is designed to effectively navigate complex technical, contractual, logistical and regulatory processes of getting satellites into space. This package includes launch capacity procurement and mission planning, comprehensive launch mission management, environmental testing, satellite integration, end-to-end global shipping and customs clearance, and the deployment of satellites using Exolaunch’s flight-proven deployment technologies. As with previous missions, Exolaunch is utilizing its portfolio of flight-proven deployment technologies:
EXOpod Nova deployers for both standard and high-volume, high-mass CubeSats;
CarboNIX separation rings in multiple sizes for precise and shock-free microsatellite deployment into orbit.
Designed, manufactured, and tested entirely in Germany, these systems are recognized for their reliability, operational simplicity and performance across demanding launch environments. Integration activities with Exolaunch’s deployment systems have been successfully completed at the company’s Berlin headquarters and customer facilities worldwide, with the final satellite integration campaign currently underway at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
“The Twilight mission builds directly on a record-breaking year for Exolaunch,” said Jeanne Allarie, Chief Investor Relations Officer at Exolaunch. “In 2025 alone, we completed 11 launches and deployed 196 satellites, the highest annual launch cadence in our history, bringing our total to 653 satellites flown across 41 missions. This level of execution positions Exolaunch as the launch integrator of choice for satellite deployment at global scale. We are grateful to SpaceX for the outstanding collaboration and for enabling the most reliable access to space.”
“Over the past year, our manufacturing and integration capabilities have expanded significantly to keep pace with rapidly growing launch demand from our new and existing customers”, said Connor Pollock, VP of Launch and Engineering at Exolaunch. “We’re investing heavily in new deployment technologies, production facilities, and launch capacity to deliver at the scale and speed the market now expects.”
In May 2025, Exolaunch announced new multi-year contracts to continue launching on SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare missions through 2028 and beyond.