Smallsat launchers are dedicated rockets designed to deliver payloads in the hundreds-of-kilograms range directly to specific orbits. Rocket Lab's Electron (300 kg to LEO) is the market leader, with Firefly's Alpha (1,000 kg to LEO) and ABL Space Systems' RS1 among active competitors. These vehicles cost $7-15 million per launch but offer on-demand scheduling and precise orbit selection that rideshare cannot guarantee.
The business case for dedicated smallsat launch is predicated on the value of schedule control and orbital precision. While rideshare is cheaper per kilogram, operators of high-value national security, imaging, or IoT satellites often need a specific orbit on a specific timeline. The smallsat launcher market has consolidated significantly, with many startups failing to reach orbit or achieve economically viable flight rates.