Spaceflight Inc.

[nadreck]

Given that Space Flight Industries seems poised to be a major contender in the launch services aggregater marketplace, I do think they should have their own updates and discussion thread here.

Note that, as per Satellite news they are having a cyber Monday sale (ok they lowered prices at least until the end of the year) on launch 3U form factor satellites by 33%.  What is interesting is that this for a 2018 launch to SSO. I don't think they are worried about filling the flights over the next two years which suggests to me that they are testing the waters to see how price sensitive their market is, but that for now they know they enough of a market to do a number of dedicated flights for their aggregate business.

[nadreck]

http://spacenews.com/spaceflight-waits-out-spacex-delays-expands-rideshare-business-to-larger-satellites-and-geo-orbit/

An interview, during the recent Satellite 2016 conference, with Spaceflight Chief Executive Jason Andrews and Spaceflight Services President Curt Blake

They intend to aggregate secondaries for GTO missions too!

[HMXHMX]

http://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-industries-closes-25-million-financing-round-led-by-mithril/

[gongora]

http://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-industries-closes-25-million-financing-round-led-by-mithril/

That is from 2016

[HMXHMX]

http://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-industries-closes-25-million-financing-round-led-by-mithril/

That is from 2016

Sorry; it was sent to me today as new news, but in my haste I didn't check the date. 

[syrtis8major]

Hi (first post on the forum despite being a daily reader since 7 years),

It is interesting to see how the company has been diversifying over the years with a clear focus on analytics and big data.
 
I have been recently offered a position at Spaceflight Services and I am looking for feedback about working conditions.

Does anyone have some clues about the mood there ?

Thanks

[gongora]

SPACEFLIGHT AWARDED FIRST NASA CONTRACT FOR LAUNCH OF U-CLASS PAYLOADS
By Jodi Sorensen
OCTOBER 2, 2017

NASA KSC multi-year contract includes integration and launch of 72U capacity of cubesat rideshare

Seattle – October 2, 2017 – Spaceflight, the leading satellite rideshare and mission management provider, today announced it was awarded its first NASA Contract for launch and integration services. The multi-year contract covers launch services in 2018 for a maximum of 24 payloads, with options to provide launch services for up to 24 additional payloads in 2019 and 2020. The potential total contract value is more than $5 million.

U-Class payloads are miniature space research satellites that typically utilize commercial, off-the-shelf electronic components. The U-Class payloads flown by NASA, often created by universities and nonprofit organizations, play a foundational role in the agency’s technology development and include investigations in planetary exploration, Earth observation, and fundamental Earth and space science.

“We’re pleased to work with NASA on these cubesat missions as it further validates our rideshare business model of providing frequent, cost-effective access to space,” said Curt Blake, president of Spaceflight. “Not only can commercial entities benefit from this new shared-space economy, but governmental agencies are quickly realizing the economies of it as well.”

Spaceflight provides the most launch options for customers, working with nearly every global launch vehicle provider, including the Falcon 9, PSLV, Dnepr, Antares, Cygnus, Electron, Soyuz and others, to ensure organizations can access space when they want. The “rideshare service” model provides more options for organizations to reach a desired orbit at a much lower cost than buying their own launch vehicle.

[Lar]

Hi (first post on the forum despite being a daily reader since 7 years),

It is interesting to see how the company has been diversifying over the years with a clear focus on analytics and big data.
 
I have been recently offered a position at Spaceflight Services and I am looking for feedback about working conditions.

Does anyone have some clues about the mood there ?

Thanks

You might want to check out  glassdoor.com if you haven't ... and be advised that you might not get a lot of public answers as badmouthing one's employer might not be the best career enhancing move...

Congratulations and good luck.

[SmallKing]

NASA launching up to 72 smallsats with Spaceflight for $5.5 million

WASHINGTON — NASA signed its first contract with small satellite rideshare company Spaceflight to launch as many as 72 cubesats between now and 2020 for a total price of up to $5.5 million.

Specifically, the contract enables the launch of 72 “units,” which typically measure 10 centimeters in length, width and height, and have a mass of around 1.33 kilograms. These units are often assembled in groups to form larger cubesats, such as the 3U cubesats Spire and Planet use, or the 6U Arkyd satellites of Planetary Resources.

Seattle-based Spaceflight provides rideshare opportunities on U.S. rockets from SpaceX, Orbital ATK and Rocket Lab, as well as India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, Russia’s Soyuz and the Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr. NASA’s launch policy, however, will restrict the 72U to ride solely on American rockets.
http://spacenews.com/nasa-launching-up-to-72-smallsats-with-spaceflight-for-5-5-million/

[gongora]

[Spaceflight] ORBITAL ATK CYGNUS OA-8 LAUNCH

Spaceflight is proud to have been part of the launch of multiple CubeSats on the recent Orbital ATK Cygnus OA-8 launch which was a NanoRacks mission to the International Space Station (ISS).   

Four CubeSats were manifested by Spaceflight on the Nanoracks external deployer through a contract with MEI and NASA Ames Rapid Response Space Works (RRSW) contract. They are ISARA, PROPCUBE, and Aerocube B/C (2 CubeSats).

What was particularly interesting about this mission is that these spacecraft will be later deployed from the Cygnus Cargo Resupply Vehicle after it departs the station and raises to a 500 km orbit. One other CubeSat from NASA Ames Research Center, EcAMSat, will be deployed directly from the ISS. 

This mission demonstrates the unique capability of Spaceflight to work with a variety of launch partners and vendors to provide the best solution for our customers. The spacecraft to be deployed by Nanoracks were re-manifested from a different launch which had been delayed.

[Tywin]

Interesting news, about Spaceflight Industries:

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/spaceflight-industries-goes-financial-restructuring-key-launch-nears/

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/01/morgan-stanley-spaceflight-industries-disrupting-rocket-launch-market.html

"Spaceflight is significantly driving down the cost of launch with its ride sharing model, allowing smaller satellite companies to launch more cost efficiently and launch operators to fill excess capacity," Morgan Stanley said. "Spaceflight is able to provide customers with flexibility by virtue of having capacity with many different launch providers."

Blake said about Morgan Stanley's analysis, "I think it means that people, and Wall Street, are starting to see this industry as a valuable one and they've identified our company as … a disruptor, which is a great term."

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1227376537118420992

Spaceflight Industries is selling its rideshare business, Spaceflight Inc., to Japan’s Mitsui & Co., Ltd., in partnership with Yamasa Co., Ltd. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Spaceflight Industries will use the funds for its BlackSky geospatial intelligence business.

https://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-industries-signs-definitive-agreement-to-sell-spaceflight-its-rideshare-launch-services-provider-to-japans-mitsui-co-ltd-and-yamasa-co-ltd/