Relativity has scheduled its first flight, Vast acquired Launcher, and SpaceQuest invests in Kreios

Precious Weekly: February 20–26, 2023

 

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Launch Updates

🇺🇸Relativity Space scheduled a launch for the world’s first 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, for March 8. Taking off from 🇺🇸Florida through its ‘Good Luck, Have Fun’ mission, there will be no payload on board. [SpaceNews]

 

🇨🇦GHGSat plans to launch six emission-monitoring satellites this year. Three (Mey-Lin (C6), Gaspard (C7) and Océane (C8)) will be onboard the Transporter-7 rideshare mission, and the rest (GHGSat-C9, GHGSat-C10, and GHGSat-C11) will launch at a later date aboard 🇺🇸Virgin Orbit. [SpaceQ]

 

 

Headlines 

🇺🇸NASA is seeking comments on its Suborbital/Hosted Orbital Flight and Payload Integration Services 4 solicitation, a program to procure space on commercial flights for payloads. [SmallsatNews] BTW, check out this last-minute deal for a suborbital flight for 2023–$4k for 1kg/1U.

 

🇫🇷IAF, its Space University Administrative Committee, and the 🇨🇳Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA) recently announced the Space Universities CubeSat Challenge. The program offers a free piggyback cubesat launch aboard a Chinese launcher and deployment from the Chinese Space Station. [LinkedIn]

 

🇺🇸Vast announced it has acquired 🇺🇸Launcher for an undisclosed amount. The combined company will continue development of Launcher’s OTV, Orbiter, along with its E-2 rocket engine. [TechCrunch]

 

🇨🇭ClearSpace has passed 🇫🇷ESA’s first program review for its debris-deorbit mission, ClearSpace-1, in 2026. The company had previously raised $29M to support the mission. [SpaceWatchGlobal]

 

🇮🇹D-Orbit will partner with 🇹🇭Patriot Infovention for the launch of LOGSATS, Patriot’s 3U communication and aviation-monitoring cubesat for Thailand, aboard the ION Satellite Carrier in October 2023. [SatNews]

 

🇺🇸Sidus Space signs a launch agreement with 🇺🇸SpaceX for two launches on Transporter missions scheduled for 2024 and 2025. [SidusSpace]

 

 

Funding 

🇨🇭SpaceQuest Ventures invests in 🇪🇸Kreios Space to support the development of their groundbreaking electric propulsion system, ABEP (Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion), that allows satellites to orbit close to Earth without the need for fuel. [SpaceQuest]

 

🇺🇸Machine Bio awarded $500K through the Technology in Space Prize, in partnership with the MassChallenge startup accelerator program, to validate their proprietary technology for the synthesis of protein from a DNA template onboard the ISS. [ExTerra]

 

🇸🇬Galamad Aerospace raised $1.05M to design and build its satellite platform, PROSat, which has improved capabilities and lower manufacturing costs than traditional small satellites. [AfricanNews]

 

🇺🇸Terran Orbital’s subsidiary, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, contracted by 🇺🇸Rivada Space with $2.4B to design, build, and deploy a total of 300 communication satellites in 2025. [SatelliteEvolution]

 

 

Check out Precious Weekly: February 13–19, 2023