Spaceflight
(English) Leading satellite rideshare and mission management provider
The company offers routine launch options through a portfolio of global launch vehicles and unprecedented flexibility to make make getting to space easier, faster and with more reliability than ever before.
History
Spaceflight Inc. was founded in 2010, with the vision of fundamentally changing how satellites get to space. Sending satellites into orbit once required purchasing an entire rocket; however, with the growing industry of smallsats, the demand for routine, cost-effective access to space has increased exponentially. Demand, coupled with the growing number of launch vehicle providers, created an opportunity for Spaceflight to assist in identifying, booking and managing rideshare launches. Today, it is leading the industry in providing rideshare launches to both commercial and government organizations.
To date, Spaceflight has launched more than 300 satellites across 32 rideshare missions. In 2019, the company successfully executed nine missions, sending more than 50 payloads to space. In December 2018, the company successfully executed the U.S.’s largest rideshare mission, deploying 64 smallsats originating from 17 countries from a Falcon 9.
As of June 2020, Spaceflight is part of the Mitsui & Co., Ltd. portfolio, operating as an independent, U.S.-based company.
Business
Spaceflight works with a large portfolio of launch vehicles, including Falcon 9, Electron, Vega, and PSLV, to provide a variety of launch options to its customers. The company offers state-of-the-art satellite integration capabilities, including flight and ground support hardware, licensing and logistics management, and mission expertise to support each customer’s specific mission needs. Spaceflight is also developing a combination of innovative hardware, software, integration, and launch solutions that will allow spacecraft to switch between launch providers in the case of a delay or other event.
Products/Services
Rideshare Launch Services via Global Network of Vehicles
Spaceflight pioneered the rideshare model and has been LV agnostic from Day One. Our launch capacity database reflects launch options from many global providers. We’ve executed missions on the popular Falcon 9, Vega, Electron, Vega, PSLV and several others and we’re continuing to add to our line up every year. Having this portfolio is critically important because if you need to switch rides, we are in the unique position to re-manifest the spacecraft on another launch, mitigating risks and costly delays.
Orbital Transfer Vehicles, Hardware and Comprehensive Integration Services
Spaceflight is uniquely experienced in all aspects of integration and the unique requirements across different spacecraft, different launch vehicles, and different integration facilities. Spaceflight is building a next-gen portfolio of Sherpa orbital transfer vehicles to deliver frequent, low-cost access to space for “last mile delivery.” It offers separation systems, mechanical interfaces between the vehicle and the separation system, and the avionics to deploy the spacecraft.
Online Booking and Mission Management Services
When it comes to shopping for and booking a launch, Spaceflight makes it as easy as booking an airline flight. The company’s online reservation system allows you to browse available launches and reserve the best one for your spacecraft — when it’s convenient for you.
Spaceflight also provides one-of-a-kind mission management app designed to help keep customers on top of all launch planning and tasks – no matter if you’re managing one launch or 20.
Main Clients
Hawkeye 360, Planet, Satellogic, Canon Electronics, Fleet Space Technologies, Honeywell Aerospace, iQPS, Loft Orbital, NASA, Astrocast