Space Cargo Unlimited

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Space Cargo Unlimited (SCU) is a French company that, as of December 2022, was seeking to be a commercial operator of a fleet of autonomous space cargo vehicles. The company’s first product REV1–a floating space factory–is a pressurized space vehicle designed to meet the needs of industrial players and researchers alike who wish to take advantage of microgravity to foster solutions for earth-based problems. REV1–which was slated to launch in late 2025–was designed to be reusable for up to 20 missions with ability to spend two to three months in space and would provide infrastructure for specific missions in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and new materials.

Technology to explore opportunities beyond Earth

Space Travel and Exploration Tech

Space Cargo Unlimited — Space Wine.

Space Cargo Unlimited (SCU) is a French company that, as of December 2022, was seeking to be a commercial operator of a fleet of autonomous space cargo vehicles. The company’s first product REV1–a floating space factory–is a pressurized space vehicle designed to meet the needs of industrial players and researchers alike who wish to take advantage of microgravity to foster solutions for earth-based problems. REV1–which was slated to launch in late 2025–was designed to be reusable for up to 20 missions with ability to spend two to three months in space and would provide infrastructure for specific missions in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and new materials. Key customers and partnershipsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15090">December 2022 </a>, the company signed a first phase contract with Thales Alenia who would be overseeing the design, development, and construction of REV1 along with opening a SCU subsidiary in Turin, Italy. SCU has also previously carried out various complex missions with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and the ISS.

Founded by Elon Musk, SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) is engaged in the design, manufacture, and launch of rockets and spacecrafts. The startup manufactured Falcon 9, which is the first orbital class reusable rocket that helped the company bring down costs per launch due to the ability to refly. SpaceX claims to be the world’s leading provider of launch services and the first private company to transport cargo and astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) with its Dragon spacecraft. It is also the first and only company to complete an all-civilian crewed mission to orbit.With Elon Musk’s plans to colonize the moon and Mars with reusable spaceships to make life multiplanetary, the startup offers commercial flights to Earth and lunar orbit and launched its first all-commercial crew to space station in April 2022. The company also offers a rideshare program, with programs starting at USD 1.1 million for 200kg to SSO (Sun Synchronous Orbit).SpaceX is also developing the Starship launch vehicle which is dubbed as the most powerful launch vehicle on earth. Starship is the integration of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy Rocket. Standing at 120 meters tall and with a fully reusable payload capacity of 100–150 tons, Starship is a fully reusable crew and cargo transportation system meant for travel beyond earth’s orbit. In April 2023, Starship <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17914">conducted its maiden launch </a>during which the launch vehicle exploded due to a stage separation failure. The second test flight in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24117">November 2023 </a>, despite ending in a mid-air explosion, showcased notable advancements compared to the initial flight.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24439">November 2023 </a>, SpaceX acquired Pioneer Aerospace, a provider of high-speed drogue parachutes, for USD 2.2 million as part of Pioneer's bankruptcy proceedings. SpaceX aims to vertically integrate the production of drogue parachutes, allowing the company to ensure quality control of this crucial component.On <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30279">6th June 2024</a>, SpaceX launched its Starship rocket and successfully brought down the booster and the upper stage back to Earth in controlled ocean splashdowns, marking a key milestone for the rocket’s operations. Further in June, the company also launched 20 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30611">Starlink satellites</a> from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, followed by <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30664">launching the SES</a> satellite aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to replace the older satellites stationed over Europe.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31473">July 2024</a>, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 for a second time with 20 Starlink satellites, however, it experienced upper-stage failure and all of the satellites were returned to Earth and lost. An <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31996">investigation</a> with the FAA revealed that this was due to a crack in a sense line for a pressure sensor of the oxygen system. During the same <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32021">month</a>, SpaceX launched two Starlink missions to deliver 44 new Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit.Key customers and partnershipsSpaceX has secured many partnerships, with the most high profile being with NASA (in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12727">September 2022 </a>, NASA awarded SpaceX additional crew flights to ISS) as well as other government institutions such as the US Airforce. For example, in January 2022, it won a USD 102 million Air Force contract to demonstrate technologies for point-to-point space transportation. The company was also given a USD 2.9 billion contract in April 2021 by NASA to put its astronauts on the moon for the first time since 1972. Adding a modification–known as option B–to this contract, SpaceX was <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14642">hired to provide a second crewed demonstration landing </a>in November 2022.The ESA hired SpaceX in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13938">October 2022 </a>to launch two missions aboard Falcon 9 rocket–Euclid space telescope and Hera Probe–which was previously planned to be flown on Russian Soyuz rockets. Further, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14056">October 2022 </a>, SpaceX surpassed Boeing–a long standing contractor with NASA–to become NASA’s second largest vendor.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30280">June 2024</a> SpaceX was awarded a USD 1.5 million contract by NASA for a Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, along with 6 other companies. The <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30463">same month</a>, alongside Blue Origin and ULA, SpaceX was selected by the USSF for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 launch services contract. SpaceX, once again partnered with NASA in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30847">June 2024</a>, to create and deliver the US Deorbit Vehicle which would bring the International Space Station (ISS) out of orbit in later in 2030.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31893">July 2024</a>, the company was awarded a ~USD 113 million contract from NASA to provide launch services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) 4 mission.Funding and financialsSpaceX is the highest funded startup in the industry and one of the most valuable startups in the US, as of August 2022. In its latest funding round in July 2022, SpaceX raised USD 250 million in an equity round from five investors including Mirae Asset Global Investments, Alpha Dhabi and International Holding Company. While SpaceX did not disclose a change in its valuation after the round, its previous equity round raised in May 2022 increased its value to USD 127 billion, up from its last valuation of USD 100 billion from late 2021.

SpaceX

Founded in 2021, Sierra Space is an independent commercial space startup that was created as a result of the transition of defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems business area to an independent company.The company is developing the Dream Chaser Spaceplane, claimed to be the world’s first commercial spaceplane and only winged commercial spaceplane, with a NASA contract to fly cargo resupply trips to the ISS beginning late 2023. The Dream Chaser was set to launch early 2023 and is reusable and capable of a low, 1.5 g-force re-entry – for crew and cargo transportation – and can land on compatible commercial airport runways around the globe. The company is also developing the LIFE habitat (Large Integrated Flexible Environment), an inflatable three-story commercial habitation and science platform designed for low Earth orbit. The LIFE habitat has the capacity to sleep four astronauts, with additional room for science experiments, exercise equipment, a medical center, and Sierra Space’s Astro Garden system, which can grow fresh produce for astronauts. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31995">July 2024</a>, Sierra Space concluded its second full-scale burst test of the LIFE module, and announced its plans to fly it as a standalone spacecraft and to test a module with a volume of 500 m3 by 2025.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30892">June 2024</a>, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced that Dream Chaser’s launch abroad the Vulcan Centaur rocket was postponed. However, Sierra Space reports that the Dream Chaser is still set to launch by the end of 2024.Key customers and partnershipsIn October 2021, Sierra Space and Blue Origin announced that the companies are developing Orbital Reef, a commercial space station, backed by players including Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University. Orbital Reef will be a commercially developed, owned, and operated space station to be built in low Earth orbit. The Dream Chaser and LIFE Habitat are critical components for Orbital Reef. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14055">October 2022 </a>, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IBM to collaborate on space technology and software platforms for Sierra Space’s entire range of spacecraft and infrastructure. Sierra Space partnered with Keystone Space Collaborative in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14514">November 2022 </a>, to advance space economy and for the development of Orbital Reef.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16778">February 2023 </a>, the company signed a five-year MoU with the University of Notre Dame for the exploration of space-based research and development in low-earth orbit (LEO), which includes identifying potential opportunities for R&amp;D payloads, conducting microgravity experiments, along with designing and developing hardware components to facilitate experimental objectives and commercialization of research findings. Further, in April 2023, Sierra Space entered a <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17792">long-term strategic partnership </a>with engineering and manufacturing company ILC Dover to accelerate the development of next-generation space infrastructure. The companies were to collaborate on expediting the deployment of LIFE modules, as well as developing space suits for extra and intra-vehicular activity.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20535">July 2023 </a>, Sierra Space secured a USD 22.6 million Air Force contract to advance the development of its VR35K-A engine for future launch vehicles. The contract will facilitate further work on the engine, including refining its flight-weight engine component design.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31493">July 2024</a>, Sierra Space partnered MUFG Bank Ltd. and Tokio Marine &amp; Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd, along with existing partners Oita Prefecture, Kanematsu Corporation, and Japan Airlines to explore the potential for a landing spaceport in Oita, Japan.Funding and financialsFollowing the spin-off from Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sierra Space started with USD 3 billion in active contracts and with the target of reaching USD 4 billion in revenue within a decade. At the time of spin-off, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s space business was generating ~USD 400 million in annual revenue.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22189">September 2023 </a>, the company raised USD 290 million in a Series B round. The funding was co-led by Japanese investors MUFG, Kanematsu Corporation, and Tokio Marine &amp; Nichido, with participation from existing investors. The funding will help scale Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane and commercial space station projects. The company plans to focus on the development and operations of the first commercial space station, as well as the growth of its national security offering and its space systems components business. It aims to conduct tests on a full-scale LIFE habitat and launch a demonstration mission in 2026.

Sierra Space

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 Founded by Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic constructs commercial spacecraft with the goal of providing space travelers with suborbital spaceflights. Virgin Galactic is the first commercial spaceline created for space travel. Its feather technology allows its spaceship to fold in half, with the wings moving upward, offering unobstructed views of space. Virgin Galactic's suborbital aircraft are launched from beneath VMS Eve mothership (previously known as White Knight Two), a carrier plane. Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spacecraft made its first spaceflight in 2018. Founder Richard Branson and three other colleagues boarded a flight as passengers in July 2021. In February 2022, the startup opened ticket sales to the public. A trip that lasts around 90 minutes costs USD 450,000 and was slated to commence in Q1 2023. Up to six passengers and two pilots can go to suborbital space at a time in a flight. In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16466">
 February 2023
 </a>
 , the VMS Eve mothership took to the skies for the first time after undergoing mechanical upgrades. Although the results were not disclosed, according to flight tracking data the test flight lasted over two and a half hours and reached an altitude of 12,650 meters. In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18896">
 May 2023
 </a>
 , conducted its first suborbital launch after a nearly two-year hiatus with the Unity 25 mission. It carried a crew of six and two pilots to an altitude of 44,500 ft for 90 minutes. Following this, in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19794">
 June 2023
 </a>
 , the company completed the maiden launch of its commercial spaceflight, VSS Unity. Named Galactic 01, the mission carried 13 research payloads and a three-member crew. The company expected to launch monthly commercial flights after the Galactic 02 mission which was slated for August 2023.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In 2020, the company entered into a space act agreement with NASA relating to the development of high-speed point-to-point travel technologies and into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rolls-Royce to join in designing and developing engine propulsion technology for high-speed commercial aircraft. In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14264">
 November 2022
 </a>
 , the company partnered with space infrastructure developer Axiom Space, to conduct microgravity research and training missions.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 Virgin Galactic recorded USD 2.3 million revenue in 2022. Further, adjusted EBITDA deteriorated to a negative USD 431 million in 2022 (from USD 245 million in 2021). The company&rsquo;s net loss widened from USD 353 million in 2021 to USD 500 million in 2022, mainly driven by 118% YoY increase in R&amp;D expenditure.
 
 
 In October 2019, Virgin Galactic was listed on the NYSE (SPCE) through a SPAC deal, receiving USD 450 million of primary proceeds with a market capitalization of USD 2.3 billion. This made Virgin Galactic the world&rsquo;s first and only publicly traded commercial human spaceflight company at the time.&nbsp;
 
 
 In its latest funding round in January 2022, it raised USD 425 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2027. The company intends to use the funds for working capital, general and administrative activities, and capital expenditures to accelerate the development of its spacecraft fleet in order to facilitate high-volume commercial service.
 
 
 
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Virgin Galactic

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 Arizona-based World View Enterprises designs and manufactures stratospheric balloons through which it has been taking high-resolution photos of Earth for scientific, government, and commercial organizations. Its World View Stratollite is a remotely operated stratospheric vehicle with new control capabilities that carries commercial, scientific, and government payloads to the near-space environment. It also utilizes the advantages of geostationary satellites, low-earth orbit satellites, and high-altitude drones to provide the optimum combination of resolution, precision, and long-term surveillance of vital targets.
 
 
 The startup announced its plans to enter the space tourism and exploration market in October 2021 with its rocketless spacecraft. The spacecraft, known as the World View Explorer, consists of a football ground sized zero-pressure helium balloon, which will ascend at 10&ndash;12 miles per hour, carrying passengers in a capsule beneath it in first-class luxury complete with a bathroom and Wi-Ffi. The vessel would glide passengers 100,000 feet into the stratosphere on a 6&ndash;12 hour journey (vs. Virgin Galactic's 90-minute flight time) and would cost USD 50,000 per passenger (vs. USD 450,000 for Virgin Galactic). Its competitive pricing is attributed to the use of a natural resource (helium) instead of jet fuel. The company planned to have space ports at iconic locations such as The Grand Canyon (US), Amazonia (Brazil), Aurora Borealis (Norway), Giza pyramids (Egypt), Serengeti (Kenya), Great wall of China, and Great Barrier Reef (Australia). The company planned to have 28 spacecraft (each can carry 8 passengers and 2 crew members) to fly four flights a day at each of the 7 sites. The first rides are scheduled for 2023 and the first passengers for 2024. Pre-sale tickets are available for purchase.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15704">
 January 2023
 </a>
 , the company entered a definitive business combination deal with special purpose acquisition company(SPAC) Leo Holdings as it geared up to go public with this transaction valuing the combined company at an estimated USD 350 million.
 
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World View Enterprises

Space Perspective is a luxury spaceflight experience company. Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum, who were among the co-founders of World View Enterprises, founded the company when World View Enterprises diverted from its initial plan to offer similar stratospheric ballooning services and focused on Stratollites carrying payloads. Its Spaceship Neptune, which the company claims is the first carbon-neutral way to space, is a rocketless spacecraft which carries passengers in a capsule lifted by its 300-foot diameter SpaceBalloon.The Spaceship Neptune, designed to hold eight passengers and a pilot, will glide passengers to an altitude of over 100,000 feet on a six hour journey giving featuring facilities such plush seating, 360-degree panoramic windows, WiFi access and other amenities. Tickets are priced at USD 125,000 per passenger (vs. USD 50,000 per passenger for World View Enterprise) and customers can also pay using crypto. Commercial flights are targeted to begin from late 2024 with the first year of seats completely reserved by October 2021. In June 2021, the company safely completed its first test flight from the Space Coast Spaceport. In December 2021, the startup selected Florida’s Space Coast Spaceport for its worldwide campus and manufacturing complex.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32516">August 2024</a>, Space Perspective unveiled its 294 ft long Marine Spaceport (MS) Voyager, which would take tourists to space aboard its SpaceBalloons. The company reported that the MS Voyager was the first-ever spaceport for human spaceflight on open water.Key customers and partnershipIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16038">January 2023 </a>, Space Perspective entered a strategic partnership with global yacht brokerage company, Northrop and Johnson (N&amp;J) to allow select clients of N&amp;J exclusive access to space travel aboard Spaceship Neptune.Funding and financialsIn its latest funding round in May 2022, Space Perspective raised USD 17 million bringing its total funding to USD 65 million. The round saw several new investors, including Silicon Valley Bank, Trinity Capital and Henry Kravis, co-founder of investment company KKR and Co. The funding was expected to be used for further development of its stratospheric passenger balloon system that simulates one aspect of spaceflight.

Space Perspective

Companies that facilitate space tourism and rocket and spacecraft launches, which include human spaceflights and satellite launches

Companies that facilitate space habitats capable of supporting humans in orbit for longer durations

Companies that facilitate space exploration, which includes planetary exploration robots and transportation cargo to the moon, Mars, and beyond

Companies engaging in tracking and  removing space debris and providing in-orbit services for satellites such as refueling, repairs, and orbital maneuvers in order to extend the life of space objects and reduce collision risk

Companies that extract resources and materials from asteroids and other planets and the moon

Robotics are offered by space debris management, space mining, and space exploration companies

A large number of companies use autonomous robots in the production process

Companies such as Relativity Space are using 3D printing to drive down production costs

Space Cargo Unlimited

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