Moonshot #30

Firefly successfully launches Alpha, Airbus evaluates its space unit, Orbit Fab gets a GRIP on spacecraft refueling, and all the other commercial space sector happenings.

Illuminated contrails over Vandenberg Space Force base were left behind by Firefly’s Alpha rocket, which delivered eight NASA cubesats to orbit on July 3rd. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace – Contrary to popular belief, the “Noise of the Summer” was not, in fact, the seven-hour long fireworks show your neighbor put on last week in the name of “Murica,” but actually a mission from Firefly Aerospace. After an initial scrub, Firefly launched their small-lift Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in the final hours of July 3rd, successfully delivering eight NASA cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit. The contract, which was Firefly’s first for NASA, was part of an agency program that pairs smaller, low-risk satellites with new rockets that have yet to establish flight history. These contracts are fairly win-win, as they not only provide opportunities to nonprofit or educational smallsat missions, but they also allow emerging rocket manufacturers to get their hands (fins?) dirty with some payload experience. In this case, the mission went off without a hitch, and thus the Alpha has officially redeemed itself after a partial failure last December. 

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This edition of Moonshot is brought to you by the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines.

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Skynopy – A brand new French startup just raised $3.1 million to build up their ground infrastructure, with which it will offer end-to-end connectivity services for satellites in LEO. Skynopy sees a demand from satellite companies who can save money by outsourcing ground services. The startup also promises savings via its “hybrid” approach to its ground network, as it will not only construct its own stations, but also leverage existing ground infrastructure that’s currently going unused.

Airbus – The waters are churning at Airbus, with the company announcing a 900-million-euro ($965 million) charge and plans to “evaluat[e] all strategic options” for its space business. The European corporation cites issues in its telecoms and navigation spacecraft programs as the rationale behind the charge, and these issues range from suppliers not delivering to poor risk assessment in past bids. Although the financial hit might “be painful,” in the words of chief executive Guillaume Faury, it’s also a way to “bit[e] the bullet” in an effort to salvage the business – before it’s too late.