Starbridge Weekly Space Update for 9/2/2022

Portfolio Company News

SpaceX/Lynk

In case you needed to catch up on SpaceX/T-Mobile’s announcement last week and how it affects Lynk, here are a "few" articles:

• Starlink mobile play validates Lynk’s strategy says CEO (this is a great deep dive with Charles on Lynk’s strategy and current status)

• Companies developing satellite systems to connect directly to cellphones say the SpaceX/T-Mobile partnership does not faze them.

• A federal court upheld the FCC's decision to modify SpaceX's license for its Starlink constellation.

• Startups working on direct-to-cell satellite systems said they expected SpaceX to enter the market.

• Royal Caribbean Group announced Tuesday it is the first cruise liner to adopt SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband services.

• NASA announced Wednesday it completed an extension of its commercial crew contract with SpaceX worth more than $1.4 billion.

• Finally, SpaceX Joining The Direct Satellite-To-Device Race

Axiom

Axiom Space and NASA agree to send 2nd all-private crew to space station in 2023

Axiom is organizing its second private mission, Ax-2, to the ISS for a 10-day stay targeted to launch in Spring 2023. Axiom has previously reported that the Commander of the flight will be former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. 

Oros

Portland startup's tech to blast off with Bezos' next space mission

Outpost

Outpost Raises $7.1M Seed Round to Develop Reusable Satellites for Earth Return Service

Outpost announced that they closed a $7.1M oversubscribed Seed round. They plan to launch their first satellite in early 2023.

General Space News

The 2022 State of the Space Industrial Base report was released last week

This is the fourth year that the report has been published by major DoD space organizations and it reiterates a continuous theme of the need for a larger encompassing vision that goes beyond simply reacting to China but something that moves the nation as a whole. The report stresses that, while the US is still ahead of China technically, China’s rate of development is faster than the US' and that rate is accelerating. In any race, it's the 2nd derivative that matters.

The report is the result of small meetings held around the country and involves input from other civilian agencies, commercial companies, universities, and nonprofits. While we did mention the report last week, after reading through it completely we noted how comprehensive it was and how much consensus there was from the participants. What isn’t clear is whether Congress or the White House agree with the findings or the recommendations.

Countdown has started for the second Artemis 1 launch attempt

NASA will try again Saturday to launch the Artemis 1 mission to the moon after it scrubbed its launch on Monday due to a faulty temperature sensor.

Astra to sell electric thrusters to Airbus OneWeb Satellites

Astra won a contract from Airbus to provide electric propulsion systems for their OneWeb Arrow line of small satellites. The electric thruster was originally developed by Apollo Fusion which Astra acquired back in 2021. Astra is currently expecting its revenue to be dominated by orders for its Astra Spacecraft Engine saying they’ve received over 100 orders for it to date. Airbus OneWeb Satellites were previously using electric propulsion systems from a Russian company, Fakel.

Orbit Fab announces in-space hydrazine refueling service

Orbit Fab announced that they will begin offering hydrazine refueling for GEO satellites beginning in 2025 at the price of $20M per 100kg. The startup is planning to initially offer a depot operating in a ‘service lane’ orbit 300km above GEO and eventually develop a shuttle to transport fuel to satellites equipped with a ‘Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface’ (RAFTI) refueling port.

JAXA, Mitsui Sumitomo to sell insurance for civilian space travelers

The Japanese space agency, JAXA, will work with the insurance company, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., to begin providing coverage for commercial space travelers in a bet that more and more civilians will begin venturing into space. Insurance offerings will probably cover travelers against damage to possessions and bodily damage before and after their travels.

Other Space News

• The United Kingdom released a comprehensive military space strategy Thursday.

• The U.S. Space Force has started building a gateway site in Alaska to support polar communications satellite payloads.

• Space-tracking startups Scout Space and Privateer announced Thursday they will partner on space situational awareness services.

• Spire Global is working with French company ThrustMe to provide propulsion for its Lemur cubesats.

• Two Chinese astronauts performed a spacewalk outside China's space station Thursday.

• Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is joining the board of space propulsion company Phase Four.

• South Korea is considering a lunar lander mission launching in 2031.

• A Chinese nuclear reactor for providing power and propulsion in outer space has passed a review.

• Engineers have resolved a telemetry glitch on Voyager 1.

• A U.S. Space Command general called for more investments in technologies needed for deep space operations.

• China is considering some of the same regions at the south pole of the moon for lander missions as NASA.

• A payload on the Perseverance rover is producing oxygen equivalent to a small tree.