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A new public launch company will soon be available, while an unnamed launch delayed their first flight date. Another launcher was approved for its big debut. It's the launch launch launch news week.
Virgin Orbit plans $3.2B SPAC
Space-focused startups have had a difficult year in terms of exit events. It is hard to attribute this to the popularity of the SPAC merger path from public markets. Virgin Galactic was the first to adopt this trend, and Richard Branson's other space company, Virgin Orbit is now following suit.
Virgin Orbit, which launches its spacecraft at high altitude from a modified commercial aircraft, will also benefit from the merger. However, Virgin Orbit focuses more on small satellite payloads than flying people.
Market observers and retail investors should remain cautious about SPACs, but Virgin Orbit appears to have solid business fundamentals, despite being an active launch service provider. In January, the company was in orbit for the first-time. It flew its first commercial mission to pay customers in June.
Although Relativity's first launch slips at the moment, Astras is still on track
Relativity Space, a 3D-printed rocket startup, has moved its first flight to 2022. It took a little longer for the company's Terran 1 rocket to launch. This was due to a number of factors, including the redesign of the engine, improved construction materials, and the impact of COVID-19.
It is still expected that the launch will be completed by 2022. This doesn't seem to indicate that it is slipping in terms time. You can't know when a rocket will take off until it does.
Astra is another provider that wants to join the active launch company club by 2021. Although the company has been successful with its test launches, it has not yet reached orbit. It will be looking to add another notch to its belt and get its first commercial launch for a paying customer with a launch window opening later in the week. The FAA gave the go-ahead to fly the mission last Wednesday, setting the stage for this attempt.
Commercial launches in Australia and Taiwan
Tispace, a Taiwanese startup that launches rockets, has been granted a regulatory approval for its first commercial launch. The company plans to fly a test flight with its suborbital rocket two-stage, from a Southern Australia launch site. Australia and Taiwan both have promising space industries. This mission should be on your radar once you get a schedule.
Space available at TC Sessions in December
We held our first dedicated space event last year, which was so successful that we decided to hold it again in 2021. It will take place on December 14th and 15th, and it will again be entirely virtual. This means that people all over the globe can participate.
