How Easy Is Booking a Falcon 9 Rideshare?

Ezra Feilden says booking a Falcon 9 rideshare is unbelievably easy. Booking the launch for Starcloud One was basically the first thing the company did, about 21 months ahead. The initial booking can be paid with a credit card, and a confirmation comes straight away.

Earlier rideshare slots were much easier for a single payload. Falcon 9 is being wound down while Starship is not ready yet, so Starcloud is in a crunch for launch. Insurance is relatively inexpensive because Falcon 9 has 300 consecutive launches without a failure. A policy can cover a rocket explosion or a payload that does not separate. Insuring problems on the spacecraft is much harder, because this craft is the first of its type. The payout cannot replace lost time, which is the most valuable resource for a fast-moving startup. He is slightly on the fence about insuring payloads and takes each case on its own.