Hello and welcome to Max Q!
In this issue:
- Chinese subsidiary of a US venture capital firm investing in space technology
- ispace eyes april moon landing
- News from Rocket Lab, United Launch Alliance and more
At TC+, we had a new story about US outbound investment in space. According to data reviewed by TechCrunch, HaAmerican subsidiary in China Venture capital firms are pouring money into Chinese space startups from US-based funds, despite Pentagon warnings of Beijing’s growing space sector activity.
Data collected by PitchBook includes information on past limited partners and investments in the China divisions of Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Investments in the space industry make up a very small but notable part of these companies’ portfolios, with Sequoia Capital China and Lightspeed China investing in two each, and Matrix China investing in his eight. are doing. Funded startups include companies working on launches, satellite manufacturing and earth observation.
This is especially interesting given that the White House is considering a new order requiring companies to be more transparent and reporting on their foreign investments in sensitive technology, such as semiconductors, into countries such as China. One of the investors, who requested anonymity because of the joint investment with Capital, told TechCrunch the stakes are high.
“The line between aerospace and defense technology is even more blurred than it is for the semiconductors needed to drive a car or use a mobile phone,” said the investor.
BEIJING, CHINA – OCTOBER 25: Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the rostrum during the unveiling of the Communist Party’s new Politburo Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on October 25, 2017 To do. China’s ruling Communist Party today unveiled a new Politburo Standing Committee after the 19th Party Congress. (Photo by Lintao Chang/Getty Images)
Tokyo-based ispace said its lunar lander Hakuto-R is scheduled to reach the moon at the end of April.
Ispace launched the lander aboard the Falcon 9 in December. Since then, spacecraft have traveled about 1,376 million kilometers. This is the farthest distance a privately-funded, commercially-operated spacecraft has ever reached in deep space. The company plans to complete all deep-space orbital maneuvers by mid-March, followed by lunar orbit in late March.
The company is racing to become the first fully private company to land on the moon. As more access to the moon is unlocked through programs such as NASA’s Artemis initiative, Ispace is betting heavily that resource extraction and payload delivery will become a key revenue driver.
Image credit: space (opens in new window)
More news from TC and beyond
- Astra The Federal Aviation Administration also concluded an investigation into the TROPICS 1 launch accident, blaming upper-stage engine thermal runaway. Astra said the next generation of his Rocket 4 will incorporate lessons learned from the mission. (Astra)
- China Announced a lunar lander that it hopes to use to send taiko astronauts to the moon around 2030. (SpaceNews)
- NASA has named Nicola Fox as the new deputy director of the Science Mission Directorate. She succeeds Thomas Zurbuchen. (NASA)
- rocket lab announced a new four-launch deal with synthetic aperture radar imaging provider Capella Space, doubling its backlog to $503.6 million by the end of 2022. The company’s CFO, Adam Spice, also said he plans to launch Neutron for the first time at the end of 2024. (Rocket Lab/Space News)
- space x Launched the first batch of next-generation Starlink satellites. This is the smaller version of the satellite that will eventually fly on Starship. Tie the new argon hole thrusters onboard the satellite to SpaceX’s acquisition of his Swarm Technologies in 2021. (TechCrunch)
- united launch alliance is for sale and the deal could close by the end of the year, reports Ars’ Eric Berger. (Ars Technica)
- Virgin Galactic It aims to resume spaceflight in the second quarter of this year, but there are still some tests to be conducted on its first spacecraft and aircraft. (CNBC)
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