16 companies · 17 sourced backers · 127 milestones on record
This frontier covers rockets and related systems for reaching orbit, moving spacecraft between orbits, and delivering equipment to the Moon. Companies are trying to make these activities dependable, repeatable services through reusable vehicles, spacecraft propulsion, and supporting infrastructure, while also developing facilities where people can live and work in space.
Where the 16 companies stand today, from their profiles and 10-year milestones. Tap a phase to see who is there.
- ▸Lowering the cost of reaching space
- ▸Reusing entire rockets across repeated launches and recoveries
- ▸Delivering dependable missions beyond individual technology demonstrations
- ▸Building infrastructure for sustained orbital and lunar operations
Publicly listed: 8 companies (owned by public shareholders).
- ›Every sourced story on all frontiers, filterable by company and news type
- ›10-year milestone records for each company: demo vs shipped
- ›Explained: plain-words readiness diagrams for real breakthroughs
- ›Signal Trends of 39 frontiers covering 378 companies over time.
- ›The events calendar: launches, approvals and deadlines ahead
- Astra Space
To make access to and operation in space more practical through launch and spacecraft propulsion technologies.
Some users · publicly listed
- Astrobotic
To make robotic delivery and surface operations on the Moon a repeatable service.
Trials · backed by SpaceFund, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- Blue Origin
To lower the cost of access to space with reusable rockets and, in the company's stated long-term vision, to enable millions of people to live and work in sp…
Trials · publicly listed
- Firefly Aerospace
Firefly's stated aim is to provide end-to-end space transportation — from launch to orbit to the lunar surface — as routine commercial services for governmen…
Some users · publicly listed
- Impulse Space
To make movement between orbits a practical space-transport service.
Lab · backed by Founders Fund, RTX Ventures
- Intuitive Machines
To make lunar delivery and operations around the Moon repeatable commercial services.
Some users · publicly listed
- Lunar Outpost
To build robotic mobility and supporting infrastructure for activity on the Moon.
Trials
- Northrop Grumman (Space)
To provide the launch and spacecraft systems needed for useful activity in space.
Everyone · publicly listed
- Relativity Space (Launch)
Full success = a large, fully reusable 3D-printed rocket (Terran R) flying paying customers' satellites to orbit again and again, cheaply enough to compete w…
Lab
- Rocket Lab
To provide frequent, dedicated launch for small and medium satellites and to bring its larger reusable Neutron rocket into service, becoming an end-to-end sp…
Some users · publicly listed
- Sierra Space
To make transport to orbit and commercial space infrastructure repeatable services.
Lab · backed by LuminArx Capital, General Atlantic
- SpaceX
To make spaceflight dramatically cheaper through fully and rapidly reusable rockets, and ultimately to build a fully reusable Starship system capable of carr…
Everyone · publicly listed
- SpinLaunch
To provide resilient satellite broadband through Meridian Space while continuing development of its novel launch technology.
Lab · backed by Google Ventures, Airbus Ventures
- Stoke Space
To make an entire orbital rocket reusable, including its upper stage.
Lab · backed by Y Combinator
- United Launch Alliance (ULA)
To provide dependable launch services that deliver customer payloads to their intended orbits.
Some users · publicly listed
- Vast
To build and operate commercial space stations.
Lab · backed by ValueAct Capital
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