The Spaceport Company (TSC) was awarded a contract by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to deliver cargo and enable greater access to space by leveraging a unique, sea-going mobile space launch complex. This prototype is intended to demonstrate delivery to a mission-designed orbit and test autonomy-like features of the sea launch vessel.
In Phase 1 of the Novel Responsive Space Delivery (NRSD) project, TSC will construct and demonstrate foundational maritime launch technologies within the next 12 months. Depending on TSC's Phase 1 outcome, DIU may award future modular phases to TSC. DIU's objective in this phased approach is to work with TSC as it constructs its self-contained, ocean-going space launch complex and creates the complex's capability to quickly deliver satellites to orbit from wide swathes of the ocean on a regular, commercial basis.
TSC builds infrastructure to solve the problem of launch site congestion. Founded in 2022, the team has over 30 years of combined experience in the space industry. Leveraging their extensive expertise as well as prior support from DIU's National Security Innovation Capital program, TSC developed a cost-effective, self-contained, and scalable rocket launch and landing site concept using ubiquitous commercial maritime vessels.
"Demand for launch sites exceeds supply, and building new launch sites on land is blocked by environmental concerns and community opposition. Furthermore, commercial launch companies seek a future with fleets of rockets delivering tons of cargo to and from orbit on an hourly basis. The only viable way to build enough launch site infrastructure to support such a vision is to build it on ships at sea. We are specialists in this area, having successfully launched four sounding rockets in one day from a commercial vessel," said Tom Marotta, CEO of The Spaceport Company. "I'm excited to deepen our partnership with the DOD to realize our shared vision of cost-effective, scalable, and reliable launch site access for both U.S. and allied partners."
DIU is an office within the U.S. Department of Defense that strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and bolstering our allied and national security innovation bases. DIU partners with organizations across the Department of Defense (DoD) to rapidly prototype and field dual-use capabilities that solve operational challenges at speed and scale. Upon completion, successful prototypes may transition to follow-on production-Other Transaction (OT) agreements or Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based contracts.
Click here to learn more about The Spaceport Company's Maritime Launch Solutions.
