Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 11

“ With Spaceflight having gone through a transition with an acquisition , there was a chance to create a long-term space strategy .”
Top : Integration image from the GTO-1 launch Bottom : SSOA _ Mission Patch
He said he sees them as a “ more expansive and prolific space company ” than competitors . Plus , the company is in Seattle , which was attractive to him .
Bonin said that Spaceflight is a space transportation company , but not in the traditional sense . He said , “ When we think about transportation and logistics companies on Earth — they tend to do things in significant volume . However , you don ’ t see the volume as with terrestrial industries , so the economies of scale don ’ t apply … yet .”
Professional speaker and coach , Brian Tracy said , “ Only by contending with challenges that seem to be beyond your strength to handle at the moment you can grow more surely toward the stars .” Spaceflight has continued an upward trend in their 10-year history . The company seems poised to aim for the stars , literally and figuratively . Spaceflight offers the service of hitching a ride on a rocket , but they also address a couple of common problems satellite companies face . Bonin said , “ We solve two problems — first , we defray the cost for accessing space via smallsats , and second , we are able to remanifest customers as a launch service when there are delays . The economics make sense for smallsat missions ."
The company works with every launch vehicle in the world which allows Spaceflight to offer a variety of launch options . “ Our diverse portfolio of launch providers enables us to get anybody ’ s satellite to their desired orbital location when they want to launch ,” Bonin added .
The concept of smallsat rideshare is like that of a car rental lot . There are many varieties of vehicle to fit different needs — big family and lots of luggage ? Rent the SUV . One person with a carry-on bag in a big city ? Rent a two-seat commuter vehicle .
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2021 ISSUE NO . 19 11