
Astra Space
Production of LV
segment:
LV manufacturer
company website:
https://astra.com/
ownership_type:
private
country of registration:
USA
Astra Space is an American company founded by Chris Kemp and Adam London in 2016 and based in Alameda, California.
The company is connected with the Russian Federation through the investment fund Caspian VC owned by Ziyavudin Gadzhievich Magomedov. During the interview in 2017, Magomedov mentioned the following:
- The investment strategy of his fund is the import of technologies to the Russian Federation.
- The Roscosmos should be the commercial beneficiary of Astra.
One part of the Astra Space business is dedicated orbital launch services with the help of its own developed “Rocket” Launch vehicles. The launches will be available to the market almost on weekly basis after 2023 (55 launches were announced by the company). Moreover, in 2024, it will increase launch capabilities to 165 launches a year. Another part of the business is that it will provide hosted payload services. For that purpose, disc-shaped (for rocket volume saving reasons) spacecraft for hosting customer payloads will be developed.
It is forecasted that this service will be available in 2022 and called “modular spacecraft,” so the customer can integrate any sensors it needs to. Finally, Astra will be an operator of a low Earth Orbit satellite constellation for broadband services. It declared to launch 13,600 satellites operating at V-band frequencies. To supply several critical components, a manufacturer of satellite propulsion systems – Apollo Fusion – was acquired in 2021. Its electric propulsion system will be a necessary component for “modular spacecraft” as for future satellite constellations.
The company’s customers include NASA, DARPA, Planet, Spire, and Spaceflight. They are mostly interested in the launch services of the company.
1. NASA
2. DARPA
3. Planet
4. Spire Global
5. Spaceflight
1. NASA
2. Spaceflight
37th Space Symphosium
Satellite 2022