Moonshot #13

Firefly aces the test, Axiom announces their next crew, Galactic Energy completes a sea-based launch, and everything else happening in commercial space

Hello Continuum readers and Celestial Citizens,

Welcome back to Moonshot where we will give a bi-weekly rundown of all the private sector space news. If you haven’t already, consider becoming a paid subscriber ($6/month) so you can get past that pesky paywall and read the full Moonshot post!

And here is the commercial space beat…

Firefly’s Alpha rocket launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace – A tall order delivered. And no, we’re not talking about that pumpkin spice latte. Last week, Firefly successfully completed a test for the U.S. Space Force by launching a satellite with just 24 hours’ notice. This test demonstrates rapid launch capabilities that can be used for national security missions, and also handed out $17.6 million award to Firefly. Not bad for a day’s work…kidding!

Axiom Space – In early 2024, a crew of four will ascend to the ISS in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Space’s Ax-3, the company’s next private astronaut mission. Former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría will command the mission and be accompanied by Italian pilot Walter Villadei, mission specialists Alper Gezeravcı and Marcus Wandt. If you’re an avid reader of Celestial Citizen content, you know we were hyped about Sweden’s Wandt getting fast-tracked for this mission after being selected as an ESA reserve astronaut less than a year ago. 

Rocket Lab – Our favorite creative mission name generator and launcher Rocket Lab has just signed a new deal with defense company Leidos for four more HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) launches. The launches – to take place over the next couple years – will hopefully follow the success of Rocket Lab’s HASTE launch in June, demonstrating a reliable  test vehicle for companies to pursue hypersonic flight at a “fraction of the cost of current full-scale tests.”

Galactic Energy – China’s Galactic Energy completed a sea-based launch of its Ceres-1 rocket, the first launch of its kind for this rocket. The mission – cheekily dubbed “The Little Mermaid” – took off near the coast of Haiyang in Northeast China, carrying four Tianqi satellites for commercial firm Guodian Gaoke to go towards their LEO constellation. 

Incus – An Austrian company is developing a 3D printing technology that could reuse scrap metal to build spacecraft parts. The additive manufacturing company has even taken lunar dust into consideration, positing that an “optimal ratio” would compensate for the dust’s viscous effect. With development funded by the ESA, this technology could be game changing in a lunar or Martian civilization with limited resources. 

Space Tango – Kentucky-based startup Space Tango announced S. Sita Sonty as their new CEO at the beginning of the month, a leader who has headed both the space industry practice at the Boston Consulting Group and human spaceflight sales at SpaceX. Specializing in microgravity experiment platforms, Space Tango has worked with NASA since 2017 to provide research facilities on the International Space Station.

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Continuum Podcast: ‘A Million Miles Away’

ICYMI, we released another episode of Continuum podcast with special guest Mark Ciardi, producer of astronaut biopic ‘A Million Miles Away.’

Co-hosting with our founder,

Britt Duffy Adkins

, is Celestial Citizen social media manager and YouTube host

Helen Floersh

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Telesat – Telesat will work with trusted industry launcher SpaceX for its new Lightspeed constellation, with a total of 14 contracted launches starting in 2026, each of which could deploy up to 18 of the Canadian company’s powerful satellites. This comes after the company switched from Thales Alenia Space to MDA for satellite construction after a series of delays. It’s clear that Telesat is attempting to make up for lost time with their commitment to the ever-so-speedy SpaceX, but to retain “launch optionality,” Telesat also maintains a similar agreement with Blue Origin.

SpaceX – We may have checks and balances for our U.S. presidents, but what about for our business owners? Not sure what our red flag should have been with SpaceX founder Elon Musk, be it the murder of of the Twitter bird, his ability to hide a secret child named Tau Techno Mechanicus, or his shutting off Starlink access over Crimea – allegedly. The DoD announced this week that the stunt – which they could not confirm or deny – doesn’t scare them away from using SpaceX’s Starlink constellation for their own ventures. According to U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, the department puts their trust in the contract. In fact, he couldn’t have said “contract” more times in the following statement made at the Air Space and Cyber Conference this week: “business relationships are about executable, enforceable contracts. And I think we’re pretty good at writing contracts and enforcing our contracts.” So with that, SpaceX continues launching Starlink satellites, sending off 21 more on Tuesday. Also, coming to a cruise line near you, Starlink satellites will join forces with mPower satellites from Luxembourg-based operator SES to create the ultimate maritime connectivity for your next voyage.