Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 10

The SSO-A Launch

It seems that everyone is getting into the space race , some with goals to reach Mars , others through the prolific practice of launching small satellites ( smallsat ) under 500kg ( 1,100 lbs ) into artificial constellations and beyond . If you are ready to book a flight for your smallsat , then Spaceflight Inc . has a solution for you !

In fact , Spaceflight Inc ., which was founded in 2010 as Spaceflight Services , has launched 310 satellites to date and has 10 launch vehicles in its network . The company , owned by Mitsui & Co ., Ltd . and Yamasa Co ., Ltd ., is set up for customers to research outbound flights via a variety of rockets , dates , and locations — all via its website . Not only that , but Spaceflight takes care of the variety of steps required to launch a spacecraft , from mission design and integration to insurance , export regulations and shipping the spacecraft to the launch site .
Grant Bonin , SVP of Business Development
The Spaceflight headquarters is in Seattle , but Grant Bonin , SVP of business development said , “ We can get any payload anywhere in space , exactly when and where it ’ s needed ,” referencing the company ’ s network of rockets worldwide . He noted that they have served customers across 32 countries and that their closest competitor has launched about 100 smallsats to Spaceflight ’ s 300-plus .
As a kid , Bonin said he was “ passionate about space exploration and space travel .” He had been working for Rocket Lab , which he said is the “ white-glove service of satellite delivery ,” but recently came over to Spaceflight because of its acquisition by Mitsui & Co ., Ltd . and Yamasa Co ., Ltd .
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