SpaceTech VCLink’s Post

The “final frontier” is no longer out of reach. Space is now densely populated with satellites of all sizes and uses from governmental and non-governmental agencies, alike. @Olivier L. de Weck recently commented on the expansion of the new space economy: https://bit.ly/3y1Gygd Are you an engineer, investor, or entrepreneur interested in expanding into Earth’s orbit? Learn from Professor de Weck in his #MITProfessionalEducation course “The New Space Economy: Technologies, Products, Services, and Business Models.” 🔗 For more details, learning outcomes, and to register, visit: https://bit.ly/3ytK3fq. Clara Piloto Ed.M #NewSpaceEconomy #MIT #DigitalPlusPrograms #Technologies #Engineering #ProductDevelopment #OnlineCourse

In case of #2 I see the big economic potential for the space stations in human organs printing (microgravity makes things like tissues a lot easier to print compared to doing it in Earth gravitation). For the in-space manufacturing there is some potential in the energy sector with applications in the space-based power stations (still TBD). Both of them are quite long therm (maybe even exotic?) while on the short(er) term I see a great potential in the direct-2-device services with a change of inflicting some disruption to the ground telecommunication networks and the space IoT.

This is my favourite space industry brainteaser - where will the next $10 billion space company come from? As the most valuable space company worldwide, SpaceX is worth some 200B USD (May 2024). In contrast, the second most valuable startup-ish space company - Sierra Space - barely reaches up to 5.3B$ (9/2023 - Series B). That’s some 40x or 195B difference and a prime example of power law outcomes, of course. I have no ambition to predict the next 200B space company - but having a thesis on where the next 10B space company will come from is both more realistic and of paramount for any space-adjacent investment work. I can think of three baseline answers: 1. Taking the existing space companies valued in the 500M to 2B range and consider - can this or that company get 10x more valuable? And I’d bet for many of them the answer is yes. If Astranis succeeds in the deployment of 4 microGEO satellites later this year, can they get 10x more valuable in the next ~12-24 months? Can Loft Orbital get 10x more valuable? Can D-Orbit get a 10x markup? Companies of course face enemies in this phase two - multiple contraction is a massive one, in practise leading to a need to increase revenues much more than 10x to get to 10x valuation increase. In other words, dreams are valued more than facts. Secondly, companies can break in the transition from a startup to a real company - Urthecast would be a warning example. 2. New Space industry areas The majority of the existing most valuable space industry companies would be 4 in the four core existing revenue-generating sectors of the space industry - EO, Satcom, launch and satellite manufacturing. New space industry areas like weather, space stations, in-space manufacturing and some adjacent industries like super/hypersonics planes could be a solid source for new space industry decacorns. 3. Better execution on existing ideas The ability for top-notch execution over decades is really difficult to judge at the state where I’d typically invest at, but in the long run will be inproportionally important as compared to all other factors like pretty pitch deck slides, which school your CEO went to or who led your pre-seed round. In the Eutelsat merger, OneWeb was valued at 3.4B. Oversimplified - had OneWeb executed some 12% better every year - it would compound to a new space industry decacorn today. Another obvious decacorn on paper lies in the ability to carve out a minor fraction of the launch market from SpaceX - but while some companies got close, none of them have ultimately been able to majorly close the gap.

#CNBC #Investing in #Space #December 2024 < https://lnkd.in/deVq87YV > #OVERVIEW: So Long, 2024 by Michael Sheetz 🌏 🌍 🌎 🌐 🚀 🌔 ⛏️ 💦 #Caveat: what follows is for general information purpose. It includes both past performance and forward looking statements, and should not be construed as investment advice.   Three words by Michael Sheets in his #CNBC #InvestingInSpace newsletter: SPACE. IS. BACK. Not just for SpaceX: 2024 saw real #momentum build for many companies.    This "momentum flow" playing out in the broader securities market adds up to investment #holdings in space that have definitely gone up. The “rebound in overall share performance” - among multiple space stocks that had a strong year - is particularly visible among 4 companies.    These four space stocks are set to finish with quadruple year-to-date gains: Intuitive Machines, Rocket Lab, Redwire Space and AST SpaceMobile.   Read more in the #CNBC #Investing in #Space newsletter  #December 2024 issue < https://lnkd.in/deVq87YV >

Looking forward to this talk by Ali Abedi about “New Space Economy: The Rise of Small Satellites”. To register for the talk, go to the link below. https://lnkd.in/e2Wv4KG2

Axiom Space has revised its plan for assembling its space station enabling it to operate as a free-flying platform as early as 2028.

🚀 China and the Space Economy: New Funds for Reusable Rockets 🌌 Innovative Investments Beijing-based Space Pioneer has raised over 1.5 billion yuan ($207 million) to fund the development of its reusable rockets. Founded in 2019, the company has secured a total of 4 billion yuan across 15 funding rounds. This investment will support the first flight and mass production of the Tianlong-3 rocket. Reusable Rockets The Tianlong-3, partially reusable, aims to reduce mission costs, making launches more affordable and accessible. It's compared to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, indicating direct competition with industry leaders. Satellite Constellation Development The Tianlong-3 plays a strategic role in helping China develop its low-cost satellite constellation, capable of launching up to 30 satellites in a single flight. This is crucial for competing with SpaceX’s Starlink, which currently has thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. Long-Term Vision China’s space industry is rapidly growing, with the government pushing to become a leading space power. Building large low-orbit satellite constellations is now a central focus, accelerating the development of liquid-propellant rockets. The advancement of Space Pioneer and its reusable rockets marks a significant step for China in the global space race, enhancing competitiveness and promoting technological innovation in the sector. 🌠🔭

What is the SmartSat CRC and Its Relevance to the Space Economy? #Space #SpaceEconomy #NewSpace #NewSpaceEconomy

🚨Latest Space Investment Analysis discussion dissecting the 2023 industry, as published in Space Foundation's Q4 2023 Space Report. 💡 Following a record-setting year for launches and satellites sent to orbit, the space industry will continue to accelerate in 2024 as more people around the world adopt new services made possible by spacecraft. 🗣 "While the pace of launch heated in 2023, space investment returned to historic normalcy after a period of heated buying. Factors including rising interest rates and what could be a growing aversion to risk, could limit capital for space start-ups in 2024." Tune in and join the discussion with me, Justin Cadman, Brendan Rosseau, and Mariel Borowitz. https://lnkd.in/eZDEXdca #placeinspace #spacecommerceinstitute #spaceinvestment #spacetechnology #spaceeconomy

Axiom Space has changed up the method for assembling its commercial space station. By revising the order in which it will launch the station's modules, Axiom Space will be able to start operating a free-flying platform as early as 2028.