Exolaunch to deploy satellites for Capella Space, Pixxel + More on upcoming mission with SpaceX

Exolaunch is set to deploy satellites for its customers Capella Space, Pixxel and an undisclosed U.S. commercial customer on the upcoming NAOS mission with SpaceX, which is scheduled for launch no earlier than August 2025 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

This mission builds on the longstanding collaborations of Exolaunch with multiple leading Earth Observation (EO) companies:

Capella Space – This is Exolaunch’s second launch for Capella, following the successful deployment of its Acadia-5 satellite aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-11 mission in mid-2024.

*Artistic rendition of the Acadia smallsat, courtesy of Capella Space*

Pixxel – Exolaunch will deploy three new Firefly satellites for Pixxel. Exolaunch has already deployed four Pixxel satellites on previous Transporter missions, supporting the rapid growth of Pixxel’s hyperspectral imaging constellation.

*Artistic rendition of a Firefly smallsat, courtesy of Pixxel*

Undisclosed – On this mission, Exolaunch will deploy two satellites for an undisclosed U.S. commercial customer via its CarboNIX separation systems under a dedicated hardware and integration services contract in continuation of the companies’ long-term collaboration.

In May of 2025, Exolaunch announced new multi-year contracts to continue leveraging SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare missions through 2028. These agreements cover all Transporter missions to date, positioning Exolaunch as the only integrator to manifest satellites on every Transporter mission so far. Exolaunch kicked off the year with delivery of 34 satellites on Transporter‑12, followed by Transporter-13 with 27 deployed satellites and a record-breaking 45 satellite deployment on Transporter‑14 in Jun —its largest flight ever.

The company is gearing up for new record-breaking rideshare missions later this year, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted launch integrator globally.

With this new mission, we’re not only contributing to the growth of the world’s most advanced satellite constellations for our customers, but thanks to SpaceX we’re also expanding valuable new launch capacity beyond traditional Transporter missions,” said Jeanne Allarie, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of Exolaunch. “We’re proud to continue enabling fast, reliable access to space for industry leaders like Capella Space, Pixxel and more — and we are grateful to SpaceX for making additional missions available to our long-standing customers.”