GK Launch Services, established in 2017, is a commercial launch services provider that uses Soyuz-2 family launch vehicles from Russian spaceports. It is a joint venture between Glavkosmos (a subsidiary of Roscosmos) and International Space Company Kosmotras. They focus on providing rideshare launch services for small satellites. Key partners and customers include Glavkosmos, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, and Planet Labs Inc. Associated keywords: commercial launch, Soyuz-2, rideshare, Glavkosmos, Roscosmos.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
GK Launch Services is offering capacity for smallsat secondary payloads on a Soyuz-2 launch of the Luna-Glob lander scheduled for October 2021 from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
The seven other Soyuz-2 launches where GK Launch Services is offering secondary payload space are all to sun-synchronous orbits launching from either Vostochny or the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The Luna-Glob launch is one of eight Soyuz-2 missions, commercial and Russian government, where GK Launch Services is offering space for secondary payloads through early 2024.
GK Launch Services does not plan to recover and reuse Soyuz-5 components to reduce launch costs.
Astroscale’s End-of-Life Service by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission is scheduled to launch in 2020 on a GK Launch Services Soyuz 2 mission.
Kepler Communications signed a launch agreement with Innovative Space Logistics B.V. (ISL) and GK Launch Services to deploy two satellites into sun-synchronous orbit in Q2–2020-07-01.
GK Launch Services will use Soyuz-2 family launch vehicles to launch Kepler’s next-generation satellites.
The two satellites Kepler will launch with GK Launch Services have a matured design with upgraded components including a more powerful software-defined radio.
Kepler has procured spacecraft platforms for the two satellites it will launch with GK Launch Services but declined to name the provider or providers.
Kepler will launch two six-unit cubesats on a Russian Soyuz rocket operated by GK Launch Services in mid-2020.
Kepler has two more launches planned in 2020 in addition to the GK Launch Services Soyuz mission.
GK Launch Services is an operator of commercial launches established by the decision of Roscosmos and is authorized to conclude commercial contracts for launches using Soyuz-2 family launch vehicles from Russian spaceports.
GK Launch Services and Innovative Space Logistics have a partnership to launch CubeSats on GK’s first commercial sun-synchronous orbit mission from Baikonur Cosmodrome planned for 2020-04-01.
GK Launch Services is authorized to conclude and implement contracts for launch services using Soyuz-2 family launch vehicles from Russian spaceports.
GK Launch Services is working with Roscosmos to develop a Soyuz 2M variant based on the Soyuz-2.1b without the Fregat upper stage.
GK Launch Services is a Roscosmos subsidiary created to sell and operate commercial launches of Soyuz-2 rockets from Vostochny and other Russian launch sites.
ISL has capacity on Soyuz launches planned through 2021 and will continue cooperation with GK Launch Services.
GK Launch Services was responsible for most of the technical work involved in launching all 26 satellite clusters on the 2018-12-27 mission.
Astroscale Japan Inc. contracted Glavkosmos/GK Launch Services to launch the ELSA-d mission on a Soyuz-2 cluster mission from Baikonur Cosmodrome in early 2020.