WASHINGTON — Portal Space Systems has acquired a Falcon 9 to launch its first Supernova spacecraft and will offer excess capacity on the vehicle for rideshare payloads.
Portal announced Aug. 20 that it signed a contract with SpaceX for a 2028 Falcon 9 launch of its first Supernova spacecraft, which uses solar thermal propulsion to offer high maneuverability.
The mission, called Motus Via Sol, or “movement with the sun,” will primarily test the Supernova spacecraft, which the company says offers high thrust as well as up to 6 kilometers per second of delta-v.
Portal said it is partnering with Maverick Space Systems, a launch aggregator, to sell excess capacity on that launch for secondary payloads. The companies did not disclose how much capacity is available for rideshare payloads but noted it will be able to accommodate ESPA-class satellites and larger “cake-topper” satellites, so named because they are placed on top of the payload stack.
The partnership comes at a time when many satellite operators are scrambling for rides to orbit because of concerns that SpaceX will end its own dedicated rideshare program in the next few years. Several companies said SpaceX is not accepting new reservations for rideshare missions beyond late 2028 or early 2029.
