Spaceflight Inc.
Spaceflight Inc. is an American aerospace company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, specializing in Rideshare space missions for SmallSats ranging from 1 kg to 300 kg. The company utilizes a variety of launch vehicles, including Northrop Grumman’s Antares, ICS Kosmotras’ Dnepr, the Soyuz operated by GK Launch Services from Kazakhstan, and SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Additionally, it facilitates launches from the International Space Station (ISS).
Company History and Growth
Founded in 2009 as Spaceflight Services by American space entrepreneur Jason Andrews and his wife, Marian Joh, the company secured its first customer contract in October 2011 with Cosmogia (later renamed Planet Labs). In April 2013, Spaceflight conducted its first two launches within hours of each other: one on a Russian Soyuz and the other on the maiden launch of Orbital ATK’s (now Northrop Grumman’s) Antares rocket. Between 2013 and 2018, Spaceflight successfully launched over 210 spacecraft for various customers.
Development of the SHERPA Space Tug
Spaceflight developed the SHERPA system, an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) designed to transport and deploy small satellites. SHERPA incorporates a custom ring as its primary structure and includes propulsion and spacecraft subsystems, functioning as both a hosted payload platform and an in-space maneuvering stage. This system enhances space accessibility for small spacecraft and is capable of delivering payloads to destinations like the Moon and Mars.
On January 24, 2021, Spaceflight Inc. launched its first next-generation OTV, Sherpa-FX, as part of the SpaceX Transporter-1 Rideshare Mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. This mission, called SXRS-3, carried 16 payloads—14 deployed from the Sherpa-FX OTV, while two remained as hosted payloads. The Sherpa program marked a significant step in improving launch flexibility, reducing timelines, and lowering costs for satellite operators.
Strategic Expansions and Acquisitions
In 2013, Jason Andrews established BlackSky Global LLC to develop a real-time Earth observation constellation using high-resolution satellites. The network was designed to provide near-instantaneous global monitoring for applications like conflict surveillance and infrastructure tracking. Operating in stealth mode for two years, BlackSky was officially unveiled in June 2015.
In August 2014, Spaceflight Networks was introduced to provide commercial ground station services, initially intended to support BlackSky’s satellite constellation. Although the business plan involved selling excess capacity on BlackSky’s communication network, it was later deprioritized in favor of satellite operations.
Spaceflight Services pioneered a rideshare model that allowed secondary payloads to share excess launch capacity at a significantly reduced cost. Instead of purchasing an entire rocket, customers could integrate their payloads into a single launch structure, enabling cost-effective access to orbit.
Financial Growth and Investments
In 2015, Spaceflight Services, Spaceflight Systems (formerly Andrews Space), and Spaceflight Networks merged under the Spaceflight Industries brand, with Jason Andrews as CEO. Following this consolidation, the company secured $21.5 million in Series B funding, led by venture capital firms Vulcan and RRE, to finance the development of the BlackSky satellite constellation.
By June 2016, Spaceflight Industries acquired OpenWhere Inc., a cloud-based geospatial intelligence company based in Herndon, Virginia. Simultaneously, it raised an additional $25 million in Series B-1 funding led by Mithril Capital.
In March 2018, Spaceflight Industries completed a $150 million Series C investment led by Thales Alenia Space (TAS) and Mitsui. This funding supported the production and launch of 20 BlackSky satellites. As part of the investment, Spaceflight Industries and TAS formed a 50/50 joint venture, LeoStella, to manufacture the BlackSky constellation. LeoStella’s satellite production facility opened in February 2019.
By October 2018, Spaceflight Industries was listed among the most valuable startups in Seattle, with an estimated valuation of $750 million.
Transition and Acquisition by Firefly Aerospace
In June 2020, Spaceflight Industries sold the company to Japanese firms Mitsui & Co. and Yamasa Co., Ltd. to focus on its geospatial intelligence services. The company concentrated its efforts on two core business areas: BlackSky Global and LeoStella, the joint venture with Thales Alenia Space for small satellite manufacturing.
In November 2020, Spaceflight unveiled the Sherpa-NG (Next Generation) program, introducing a family of ESPA-class space vehicles. This new lineup—comprising Sherpa-FX, Sherpa-LTC, and Sherpa-LTE—was designed to enhance mission reliability and flexibility while minimizing development timelines.
Through a merger with Osprey Technology Acquisition Corp. (a SPAC), BlackSky became a publicly traded company on the NYSE in September 2021. This transaction generated over $280 million in funding to support BlackSky’s growth, with the company aiming to expand its constellation to 30 satellites.
In 2023, Spaceflight, Inc. was acquired by Firefly Aerospace, which integrated its satellite transportation services into its portfolio of launch vehicles and spacecraft. Spaceflight’s services are now exclusively used with Firefly’s rockets. Firefly, one of the few U.S. companies developing small satellite launch capabilities, was valued at over $1 billion following a controlling investment by AE Industrial Partners in March 2022.
Recent Developments
On November 8, 2024, Spaceflight Industries’ BlackSky acquired Thales Alenia’s stake in the LeoStella joint venture, securing full control over the production of its next-generation imaging satellites. Notably, LeoStella’s website now redirects to BlackSky’s homepage, with no mention of continued satellite manufacturing operations.
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Resources
www.fireflyspace.com
www.blacksky.com
www.leostella.com
www.thalesaleniaspace.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.spacenews.com edition June 8th, 2023
www.reuters.com edition June 8th, 2023
www.satnews.com edition June 9th, 2023
www.spacex.com
www.spacenews.com edition November 8th, 2024