Credit NASA
Company
Horizon Space
Small probes for science and exploration. Several focused probes beat one flagship.
Founded by Michael France. Based in Tampa, Florida. First boards are in work. Nothing is in orbit.
Specialized
Each probe is built for one job. Several focused probes beat one flagship. Custom missions open for quotes in 2028.
Sequence
The same computer flies on a recoverable rocket before it flies on a CubeSat. Demo-1, then Demo-2, then OrcaSat-1.
Earth first
OrcaSat-1 is a 1U in low Earth orbit. Later targets wait until that hardware has flown. Horizon does not operate launch vehicles.
Public figures
Cost
Five SIMPLEx-class spacecraft at NASA’s $55 million cap: $275 million. Perseverance: about $2.73 billion. Difference: about $2.45 billion.
A CubeSat does not replace a rover. These numbers are published NASA and JPL program figures, not a Horizon bid.
MarCO pair
$18.5 million
Flown. JPL / NASA.
SIMPLEx-2 cap
$55 million
Planetary smallsat. Excluding launch.
Five SIMPLEx-class
$275 million
Five specialists at the $55 million cap.
Perseverance
$2.73 billion
Life-cycle cost, then-year.
Europa Clipper
$5.2 billion
Through prime mission at launch.
Log scale
NASA Cassini quick facts; Planetary Society / NASA Perseverance life-cycle ≈ $2.7 billion then-year and Clipper ≈ $5.2 billion through prime at launch; JPL / NASA MarCO pair $18.5 million; NASA SIMPLEx-2 cap $55 million excluding launch.