Starbridge Weekly Space Update for 4/17/2023

Portfolio News

Axiom

• Axiom Space Introduces New Program to Offer Countries Customized, Sustainable Access to Low-Earth Orbit

Lynk

• Lynk and Vodafone Ghana Sign Contract Bringing Satellite-Direct-to-Standard- Phone Technology to Ghana Providing 100% Mobile Coverage

Orbital Sidekick

• Orbital Sidekick Successfully Launches First Satellites in GHOSt Constellation

Outpost

• To Space and Back (And Back Again) Extending the Life of Satellites - Jason Dunn

SpaceX

• NASA Reveals What Made an Entire Starlink Satellite Fleet Go Down

• Starship Torch Pre-Sale

• SpaceX postpones debut flight of Starship rocket, citing frozen valve

Umbra

• Preventing sticker shock with transparent pricing

• Umbra launched an additional satellite late last week and returned data less than 48 hours after launch

General Space News

• SpaceX launched more than 50 smallsats early Saturday on its latest rideshare mission
  Transporter-7 was the first SpaceX Rideshare mission to launch from Vandenburg Space Force Station. This flight carried two Starbridge portfolio company payloads: Umbra and Orbital Sidekick (see Portfolio News above)

• Relativity goes ‘all in’ on larger reusable rocket, shifting 3D-printing approach after first launch
  Many in the industry have been skeptical of additively manufacturing an entire rocket due to many of the components being fairly simple to manufacture using traditional methods (ie. tanks). However, the decision to abandon Terran-1 entirely in favor of Terran-R was an unexpected decision suggesting that much of the $1.3 billion Relativity raised almost two years ago is still intact enough to fund the switch.

• A report recommends that Congress allow a "learning period" restricting regulation of commercial human spaceflight to expire
  RAND Corporation published a report agreeing with the Agency that paid it to write the report (shocking). The "learning period" refers to the moratorium on generalized launch regulations by the FAA while the industry learns lessons and experiments enough to provide reliable data. Those flights started happening recently, in 2020, so most in the industry think the learning period should be extended for another eight years.

• While companies are making it easier to provide ground station services for satellites, that doesn't mean operators can wait until the last minute
  One of the most maddening parts of launching a satellite is navigating the frequency licensing process in every single country you pass through to communicate with your spacecraft. Imagine the most byzantine bureaucracy possible but multiplied dozens of times as you navigate each country's unique process. It would even drive a Vogon mad.

Other Space News

• Keeping watch on aggressor satellites is a key challenge for U.S. Space Force

• A dispute between the Russian and Kazakh governments could affect other plans for Baikonur.

• A series of large fundraising deals in Europe since the start of the year is raising hopes that the region could be turning a corner for early-stage space investments.

• China has selected an asteroid it will target for a planetary defense demonstration mission. 

• There is a growing trend among space companies to offer transparent pricing of their services to customers. 

• Astra has won a 180-day extension from Nasdaq to avoid delisting. 

• Intelsat has ordered one of three fuel pods Northrop Grumman's in-orbit servicing subsidiary is launching in late 2024 to extend the life of one of its satellites. 

• Japanese company ispace is preparing for its first lunar landing as its stock is taking off. 

• Draper has completed the first milestones for its first lunar lander mission.

• DoD tapped Doug Beck, VP at Apple, as the new director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). 

• McKinsey Expects a Shortfall in Launch Capacity

• The FCC inaugurated its new Space Bureau Tuesday as part of its efforts to modernize regulations.