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Happy Friday, Space Enthusiasts! 🚀
This week, France-based satellite launch company ARIANESPACE advocated for new legislation to ensure that European missions are launched aboard European rockets. The call for European preference policies aims to bolster the local space industry while supporting the nation's ability to compete with SpaceX .
The global rocket and launch provider market continues to grow. New startups continue to emerge among the tenured heavyweights like Boeing and CHINA AEROSPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION , but SpaceX continues to lead the sector with impressive milestones including 96 successful launches in 2023 alone and an ambitious but seemingly realistic goal of at least 144 launches in 2024.
Read on to learn more about Arianespace's hopes to regain the EU's sovereign access to space along with a deep dive into the world's top 6 rocket manufacturers.
In this edition of the Space Impulse Newsletter, you'll find:
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Space News Highlight ✨
Arianespace Calls For European Launch Preference Legislation
Charlotte Lang , head of public affairs for ARIANESPACE , has called for new legislation to ensure that European missions are launched aboard European rockets, pointing to the EU’s upcoming IRIS² satellite constellation as a key opportunity to implement such legislation.
The final flight of the Ariane 5 rocket in July 2023, the grounding of the Vega C in December 2022, and the end of Soyuz launches from Kourou have left Europe without its own access to space. However, things are looking up, with the Ariane 6 rocket expected to be ready for launch within weeks, and the Vega C set to return to flight by the end of the year.
🚀🛠Top 6 Rocket Manufacturers Shaping The Space Industry
The rocket industry is teeming with startups hoping to leave their mark. By and large, though, today’s landscape is dominated by the heavyweights; the bulk of launches are still being done by governmental agencies or contractors, their resources and political importance far surpassing those of their newer peers. The one exception is SpaceX itself, whose technological leaps are upending the industry.
The World's Top Rocket Manufacturers
SpaceX
There is every other rocket builder on the planet, and then there is SpaceX. Originally a tiny startup with ambitions far greater than its means, the company overcame the odds, the competition, and seemingly the laws of physics; its self-landing boosters, once thought a laughable dream, now allow its rockets to launch cheaper and more rapidly than its peers can imagine.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
As the main contractor for the world’s second-biggest space program, China’s state-owned CASC has its fingers in many pies. Its subsidiaries build most of China’s uncrewed and crewed spacecraft, satellites, propulsion systems, and rockets. China primarily relies on its Long March (Changzheng in Mandarin pinyin) rocket family for spaceflight.
S. P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia
Energia, the main contractor for Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, is the backbone of Russia’s – or the Soviet Union’s – space program. One of the company's defining technologies is its Soyuz rockets. These expendable, cheap vehicles have had over 1680 successful launches – a record yet to be beaten by today’s kingpin, the Falcon 9.
Arianespace
Arianespace is the oldest commercial spaceflight company. It boasts three rocket series - Vega, Soyuz, and Ariane. Despite recent challenges, things are looking up - its newest rocket Ariane 6 is scheduled for a July debut, and the European Space Agency is looking to invest in smaller commercial companies and reusability within Europe.
Boeing
Boeing’s space and security branch is under contract to build the bulk of the Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket for NASA’s Artemis lunar program. The company also makes up half of the commercial launch company United Launch Alliance, which it runs with fellow defence heavyweight Lockheed Martin.
NewSpace India Limited operates adjacent to the Indian Space Research Organization under India’s Department of Space. It acts as the department’s marketing arm, manufacturing some rockets with ISRO and organizing commercial launches aboard them; these vehicles include its medium-lift Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the small-lift Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
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As spaceflight becomes more frequent and important to countries’ national strategies, streamlined manufacturing will be key. This is already being seen with SpaceX, which builds almost everything in-house and churns out massive Spaceships at a lightning rate. As not all governments and contractors will be able to keep up, much of the responsibility for fast-paced rocketry will fall on the commercial sector.
Read the full deep dive on the world's top rocket manufacturers by Julia Seibert here.
Looking for more insights on commercial, government, and academic entities? The Space Impulse Market Intelligence Platform has captured data on the key companies, investors, universities and government organizations in the space tech industry.
Space Industry Quote of the Week 🗣
“Today’s change in pace in space requires that we adapt how institutions procure activities from industry, [rather than owning and operating rockets and space vehicles, ESA will act as an anchor customer, providing seed funding, awarding fixed price contracts and making milestone payments to private sector companies.] It’s a small step, but a big vision.”
- Daniel Neuenschwander Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, European Space Agency - ESA , discussing the ESA's decision to take a competition-based model for the procurement of future launchers and cargo vehicles.
Weekly Space News Roundup 🌌
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration has contracted SpaceX to develop a vehicle designed to safely bring the International Space Station (ISS) down to Earth at the end of its operational life in 2030. The contract, valued at $843 million, tasks SpaceX with creating the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle. The vehicle will ensure the ISS’s safe and controlled descent, preventing any risk to populated areas.
Skynopy , a Paris-based startup, has secured $3.1 million in funding. Their vision is to eliminate the complexities of satellite connectivity and provide seamless, global service through a hybrid network of ground antennas. The company has already secured contracts with key players in the French space sector, such as HEMERA and Centre National d'Études Spatiales .
MDA Space has secured a $1 billion contract from the Canadian Space Agency | Agence spatiale canadienne to design and deliver the Canadarm3 project. Canadarm3 will play a key role in NASA’s Gateway, a space station orbiting the Moon that will support missions under the Artemis program. The contract covers the final design and construction phases of Canadarm3 and is expected to run until March 2030.
Voyager Technologies and Palantir Technologies have entered a strategic partnership to boost technological progress in the space and defense sectors by incorporating Palantir’s sophisticated AI tools into Voyager’s operations. The goal is to improve communications, research, and intelligence within the space sector, making it more accessible and efficient. Voyager plans to use Palantir Foundry and the Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) to enhance its payload management system for the International Space Station and future Starlab commercial space station.
Sift Raises $17.5M For Hardware Innovation With Unified Observability Platform
Sift has secured $17.5 million in a Series A funding round led by GV (Google Ventures) , raising the company’s total capital to $25 million. Companies like K2 Space Corporation , Astranis Space Technologies , True Anomaly , Astrolab , Mach Industries , and Parallel Systems already use Sift’s unified observability platform to support their mission-critical projects. With the new funding, Sift plans to scale infrastructure, develop a manufacturing automation suite, and integrate AI/ML capabilities for improved data management.
LiveEO has secured €25 million in Series B funding to expand its capabilities in turning satellite data into practical insights. The funding round was led by NordicNinja VC and DTCF | DeepTech & Climate Fonds . New investors include MMC Ventures and Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures .
NASA engineer Tim Smith has developed an innovative 3D-printable alloy capable of withstanding extreme conditions. The new metal can withstand temperatures higher than 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing for the creation of lighter, thinner, and stronger engine parts that can operate in the intense heat of jet and rocket engines. Four companies have already licensed the new technology.
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