iRocket Accelerates Development of Reusable Launch Vehicles for Commercial and Military Customers
July 23, 2021 (intelligent-aerospace.com)
• Jeff Bezos’ successful crewed Blue Origin mission on July 20th demonstrated that more and more companies are starting to realize the significance of ‘reusable rockets’ in the burgeoning space industry. New York startup iRocket is banking on its cost-effective resusable launch vehicles that can support 300kg and 1500 kg payloads to rapidly deploy small satellites to Low Earth Orbit for satellite constellation provider customers.
• iRocket’s Shockwave rocket (pictured above) will be the only fully autonomous, fully reusable small launcher in the market. Capable of launching within 24 hrs, it will consist of two stages to reach orbit. Both the first and second stages will return to land on the launch site at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
• iRocket’s reusable engine technology has been under development since 2018 and will be ready for testing in late September,” says iRocket CEO Asad Malik. The leading-edge iRocket will significantly reduce launch costs against competitors like Elon Musk’s SpaceX, disrupting the Smallsat market by 2023 with its first launch.
• iRocket has signed a ‘Space Act Agreement’ with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama to accelerate iRocket’s next-gen reusable engine development by providing the company testing and engineering support up to $50M over 5 years. iRocket is currently supporting Space Force’s ‘Space & Missile Systems Center’ on a prototype development contract for reusable launch vehicles that can deliver cargo and even personnel anywhere around the world in under an hour.
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y., – iRocket announced that the company signed a Space Act
Agreement with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. iRocket is a New York startup building autonomous reusable rockets to cargo micro, nano, cube, and satellite constellations to LEO on its Shockwave launch vehicle. The company develops cost-effective launch vehicles that can support 300kg and 1500 kg payloads for satellite constellation providers for National security satellites, 5G internet constellations, the Internet of Things (IoT), Biotech Research, and Space exploration.
Under this agreement, NASA will help accelerate iRocket’s next-gen reusable engine development by providing testing and engineering support up to $50M over 5 years. “We are excited about this new partnership with NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center as iRocket’s innovative reusable engine technology has been under
development since 2018 and will be ready for testing in late September,” says iRocket CEO Asad Malik. Being on a leading-edge iRocket will significantly reduce launch costs against competitors like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and rapidly deploy small satellites to LEO orbit, disrupting the Smallsat market by 2023 with its first launch.
iRocket recently graduated from the NYU Endless Frontiers Lab 2020-2021 Deep Tech cohort and is scheduled to close its next funding round on August 13th, 2021.
iRocket is currently supporting the Space Force – Space & Missile Systems Center on Phase II Rapid prototype development contract for its reusable launch vehicles with plans to scale up to Shockwave V to deliver cargo anywhere around the world in under an hour, supporting Logistics carriers, National security cargos, and humanitarian missions. Space Force’s first Rocket Cargo project studies possibilities of rapid launches and delivery of material and even personnel across the globe.
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Asad Malik, Blue Origin, iRocket’s Shockwave rocket, Jeff Bezos, Kennedy Space Center
