Launcher was an American aerospace company based in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in New York City in 2017 by Max Haot.[1]

In February 2019 the company presented it's E-2 engine, which was made in Germany by AMCM using its specialized M4K printer.[2] The engine uses liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants.[3] The company's Launcher Light rocket was designed to carry payloads of up to 150 kg to low Earth orbit.[4]

In November 2019 the US Air Force awarded the company $1.5 million to accelerate development and testing of its E-2 rocket engine.[5]

In March 2021 Launcher moved its headquarters from New York to a 24,000-square-foot building in Hawthorne, California.[6][7]

In February 2023 Launcher was acquired by Vast, a startup company developing artificial gravity space stations, with Max Haot becoming Vast's president.[8]

Orbiter

The company has developed an orbital transfer vehicle named Orbiter that uses ethane and nitrous oxide as propellants for use as the third stage of the canceled Light rocket, or for use on other launch vehicles.[9] In June 2021, the company raised $11.7 million in a Series-A round of funding to accelerate the development of its first orbital vehicle.[10] Orbiter is compatible with both Launcher Light and SpaceX Falcon rideshare flights.[11]

SN1, Orbiter's first mission was launched on January 3, 2023 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on SpaceX's Falcon 9 Transporter-6 rideshare flight, transporting payload from eight customers.[12][13] SN1 failed shortly after deployment, with all customer payloads lost.[14]

Following Vast's acquisition of Launcher the Orbiter program was discontinued, with the company now focusing on the development of the E-2 liquid rocket engine.[15]

Missions

Mission Date Launch vehicle Payload Customer Outcome
SN1 January 3, 2023 Falcon 9 Block 5 Argentina MDQSAT-1A, 1B Innova Space Failure
 USA PROVES – Yearling Cal Poly Pomona
United States Sapling-1 Stanford Student Space Initiative
United Kingdom Unicorn-2G, 2H Alba Orbital
Italy ? NPC Spacemind
United States SAVER (hosted) TRL11
United States Shooting Star Memorial (hosted) Beyond Burials
Switzerland ? (hosted) Logitech Mevo
SN3 June 12, 2023 Falcon 9 Block 5 Argentina MDQSAT-1C, 1D Innova Space Partial failure
United States Otter Pup Starfish Space
United States Pleiades-Squared Cal Poly Pomona
United States Nightingale 1 (hosted) CesiumAstro
United States TRL11-SN3-Demo (hosted) TRL11
United States Remora (hosted) Millennium Space Systems
SN4 October 2023[16] Falcon 9 Block 5 Canceled
SN5 January 2024[16] Falcon 9 Block 5 Canceled

See also

References

  1. ^ "Meet Launcher, the rocket engine builder with just eight employees". Ars Technica. November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Rocket start-up Launcher gets largest single piece 3D printed engine". cnbc.com. February 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "Rocket Report: SpaceX set for second crew launch, Chinese firm reaches orbit". Ars Technica. November 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  4. ^ Tyrrell, Michael (September 6, 2021). "Launcher expands rocket engine part additive manufacturing – Aerospace Manufacturing". aero-mag.com. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  5. ^ "Air Force funding keeps Launcher development on track". SpaceNews. November 14, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  6. ^ Foust, Jeff (March 26, 2021). "Launcher opens California facility to develop small launch vehicle". SpaceNews. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  7. ^ Berger, Eric (June 2, 2021). "Launcher raises $11 million, ramps up hiring for 2024 flight". Ars Technica. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Foust, Jeff (February 21, 2023). "Vast acquires Launcher to support space station development". SpaceNews. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  9. ^ "Launcher buys additional SpaceX rideshare missions". February 7, 2022.
  10. ^ "Launcher raises $11 million, ramps up hiring for 2024 flight". Ars Technica. June 2, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  11. ^ "Launcher's Orbiter with multiple metal AM components set for SpaceX rideshare". Metal Additive Manufacturing. June 21, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  12. ^ Lentz, Danny (January 3, 2023). "SpaceX rings in 2023 with Transporter-6 rideshare mission". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  13. ^ Foust, Jeff (May 16, 2022). "Launcher announces customers for first Orbiter space tug mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  14. ^ "Orbiter SN1 Mission Update". Launcher. February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "Launcher was acquired by Vast in February 2023". Launcher. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Orbiter – Schedule". Launcher. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

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