UNIS/OS/597
26 June 2024

UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and Exolaunch announce the first-round opportunity to launch CubeSats into space

VIENNA, 26 June (United Nations Information Service) — The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Exolaunch GmbH (Exolaunch) have announced an opportunity for up to two 1U-3U CubeSats cube satellites (CubeSats) to be deployed into space with the Exolaunch EXOpod deployment system. This will include necessary technical support for the awardees.

This builds on an agreement announced on 31 January 2024, in which UNOOSA and Exolaunch underscored their joint ambition of providing more countries with access to space to help them strengthen their national scientific, technological and legal capabilities.  

Director of UNOOSA Aarti Holla Maini said: "UNOOSA has directly supported four countries in launching their first satellites. Payload hosting and deployment opportunities, such as this, serve as catalysts for the establishment of national space ecosystems, the creation of space agencies, the registration of space objects, creation of indigenous satellites, and new national laws.  We’re grateful for Exolaunch’s valuable contribution to UNOOSA’s Access to Space for All initiative and are confident that this will help countries on their space-faring journey.”

Exolaunch, headquartered in Berlin, Germany with an additional office in Denver, Colorado, United States, is a global leader in launch mission integration and deployment technologies. With over a decade of flight heritage and hundreds of satellites launched across more than two dozen missions, Exolaunch leverages industry insight to tailor turnkey solutions that meet customer needs and respond to market trends. The company develops and manufactures its own flight-proven and industry-leading EXOpod small satellite separation systems.

Chief Commercial Officer at Exolaunch Jeanne Allarie said: "Partnering with UNOOSA on the Access to Space for All Initiative is a significant milestone for Exolaunch. We’re dedicated to expanding global access to space, and this collaboration allows us to contribute our expertise in satellite deployment to benefit and empower countries new to space activities. Through this, we’re not only advancing innovation and capacity-building in space technology, but also together promoting international cooperation. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this partnership will have on the global space community."

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For more information, please contact:

Access to Space for All initiative Team
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Email: unoosa-access-to-space[at]un.org