Launcher Space (Vast Space)
Launcher Space was an American aerospace company based in Hawthorne, California. The company developed an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) called Orbiter, which used ethane and nitrous oxide as propellants. Originally designed as the third stage for the now-canceled Light rocket, Orbiter was also compatible with other launch vehicles.
Founded in 2017 by Max Haot, Launcher Space was acquired by Vast Space in February 2023. Vast, a privately held startup headquartered in Long Beach, California, was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Jed McCaleb. Following the acquisition, Vast continued development of Launcher’s E-2 engine and Orbiter payload host, with deployment planned for mid-2023.
Key Milestones and Developments
Development of the E-2 Rocket Engine
In February 2019, Launcher Space introduced its E-2 engine, manufactured in Germany by AMCM using its specialized M4K printer. The engine operates on liquid oxygen and kerosene. The company’s Launcher Light rocket was designed to carry payloads of up to 150kgs to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
US Air Force Funding
In November 2019, the U.S. Air Force awarded Launcher $1.5 million to accelerate the development and testing of its E-2 rocket engine.
Relocation to Hawthorne, California
In March 2021, Launcher moved its headquarters from New York to a 24,000-square-foot facility in Hawthorne, California, to expand its operations.
Series A Funding Round
In June 2021, the company raised $11.7 million in a Series A funding round to advance the development of its first orbital vehicle. Orbiter was designed to be compatible with both Launcher Light and SpaceX Falcon rideshare missions.
Orbiter SN1 Launch and Failure
On January 3, 2023, Orbiter SN1 launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-6 rideshare mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It carried payloads from eight customers but failed shortly after deployment, resulting in the loss of all but one payload.
Cancellation of the Orbiter Program
Despite plans for Orbiter SN3 and SN4 launches in 2023 and an additional SN5 mission in early 2024, Vast discontinued the Orbiter program following its acquisition of Launcher, shifting focus to the E-2 liquid rocket engine.
Vast’s Haven-1 Space Station Project
In May 2023, Vast announced a partnership with SpaceX to launch its first single-module space station, Haven-1, aboard a Falcon 9 no earlier than August 2025. The company also revealed plans for a crewed mission, Vast-1, to follow shortly after the station’s deployment. Vast intends to sell four seats for this mission, with SpaceX providing astronaut training.
Orbiter SN3 Launch and Failure
On June 12, 2023, the company launched its second OTV, Orbiter SN3, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-8 mission. It carried hosted payloads and CubeSats for Bronco Space, Spain-based Innova Space, and the primary payload, Otter Pup, for U.S.-based Starfish Space. However, Orbiter SN3 quickly entered an uncontrollable rotation post-separation from Falcon 9, leading to a total mission failure.
With the shift in strategy following Vast’s acquisition, the company now focuses on developing artificial gravity space stations and advancing the E-2 liquid rocket engine.
All trademarks, logos and images mentioned and showed on this page are property of their respective owners.
Resources
www.launcherspace.com
www.vastspace.com
www.payloadspace.com edition May 16th, 2022
www.forum.nasaspaceflight.com edition January 16th, 2023
www.techcrunch.com
www.spacenews.com edition June 23rd, 2023
www.space.com edition June 26th, 2023
www.voxelmatters.com edition June 27th, 2023
www.wikipedia.org
www.space.skyrocket.de
www.serdata.com
www.spacex.com