Space Technology Special Report - Version B. July 2023 - 4

10 Space Startups
agency aims to create a sustainable
lunar presence. Startups can
also increase readiness of their
technologies through lunar-focused
Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) awards and other initiatives.
In addition to lunar exploration and
LEO constellations, launch vehicles,
small satellites, on-orbit servicing,
assembly, and manufacturing, as
well as national security will likely
remain ground for opportunities
for innovative startups. Several
companies are planning important
technical demonstrations and others
are promising an expansion of
operations. The revenue dynamics
and operational performance of
maturing startup space firms,
according to the report, are important
trends to watch in startup space.
In the 2023 space survey of
60 space executives conducted
by Deloitte to understand how
1. FIREFLY AEROSPACE
Year Founded: 2017
Location: Cedar Park, TX
CEO: Bill Weber
A
n end-to-end space transportation
company focused
on developing a family of launch
vehicles, in-space vehicles, and
services. Firefly's launch vehicles,
combined with its inspace
vehicles, such as the
Space Utility Vehicle and Blue
Ghost Lunar Lander, provide
the space industry with a single
source for missions from LEO
to the surface of the Moon and
beyond. The company was
recently awarded a $112 million
NASA contract to deliver multiple lunar payloads in 2026. As
Firefly's second task order won under NASA's Commercial Lunar
Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, the company will use its Blue
Ghost spacecraft in a two-stage configuration to first place a satellite
into lunar orbit and then deliver two research payloads on the far
side of the Moon. Firefly's first mission, Blue Ghost Mission 1, is on
track for launch in 2024 and will deliver payloads to Mare Crisium,
a low-lying basin on the Moon's near side.
For more information visit www.fireflyspace.com.
4 JULY 2023
space companies are viewing
and working toward the future of
space development, 82 percent
of senior executives said that
innovation in the space market is
a priority for their organization.
Innovation, according to Deloitte's
space survey, has made it more costeffective
to develop new space systems
and launch payloads into space,
which in turn has enabled a wider
range of organizations to participate
in the space sector. The development
of SmallSats and CubeSats have
particularly increased the interest of
private companies and government
agencies investing in this field, as it
allows for more affordable access to
space and new business models.
Deloitte predicts that as the space
market expands, the role of private
companies in the space market will
likely increase in the next decade.
Ninety-eight percent of senior
executives surveyed said that the role
of private companies in the space
market will likely expand due to
emerging trends, such as space data
services and in-space manufacturing.
Going forward, more private companies
are likely to bring capital, which
can help the sector grow and start
to execute ambitious programs.
And although many segments in
the space sector are still evolving,
the sector could experience faster
adoption in less than a decade.
As startups continue to make strides
into space and beyond, this article
spotlights 10 fast-growing startups (in
no particular order) that are poised
to disrupt space by bringing new
innovations to market. The areas these
startups are making an impact on
include launch vehicles, infrastructure
and manufacturing, in-space services,
sustainability, communications,
software, and data analytics.
2. RELATIVITY SPACE
Year Founded: 2015
Location: Los Angeles, CA
CEO: Tim Ellis
T
he first company to 3D print
rockets, Relativity invented a
new approach to design, print,
and fly its own rockets, starting
with the world's first 3D-printed
rocket, Terran 1, and then Terran R,
a larger, fully reusable, 3D-printed
launch vehicle. Most rockets today
rely on additive manufacturing,
but 85 percent of Relativity's
Terran 1 rocket is fabricated with
this process. By fusing 3D printing,
artificial intelligence, and autonomous
robotics, the company
is pioneering the factory of the
future. In March 2023, Terran 1, a 110-foot-tall vehicle designed
to haul lightweight satellites into orbital space, had a semisuccessful
launch when it lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station in Florida but failed to reach orbit. Relativity Space
has been selected by NASA as one of 12 companies to provide
launch services for the agency's Venture-Class Acquisition of
Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) missions.
For more information visit www.relativityspace.com.
SPACE TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL REPORT
http://www.fireflyspace.com http://www.relativityspace.com
Space Technology Special Report - Version B. July 2023

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