Earth <-> Space Transportation (Launch) Database
This is the first installment of our SpaceFund Reality (SFR) rating. We begin with a sub-sector of the Transportation sector, specifically transportation between Earth and Space, commonly referred to as the launch industry. Within the Transportation sector, other sub-sectors include In-Space Transportation (tugs, in-space propulsion systems, custom 3rd stages, fuel depots, etc.), Planetary Surface <-> Space (Lunar landers, space elevators for use on the Moon or Mars, etc.), and Planetary On-Surface Transportation (robotic and human-supporting rovers). However, the launch sub-sector is by far the most advanced of any of the SpaceFund sectors of interest, with over 100 companies competing for a relatively limited market. For this reason, we decided to publish SFR ratings for the launch industry first.
Below is a detailed database of over 100 launch companies from all over the world. These companies and their launch vehicles are in various stages of development, with some (such as SpaceX, RocketLab, and ULA) already in regular operation, while many new companies don’t yet have financing or hardware. Each company has been assigned an SFR rating based on our analysis, publicly available data, and expert insights. We’ve also provided a considerable amount of additional data gathered during our research. To our knowledge, this is the first such comprehensive database of launch companies to provide thorough, unbiased, and detailed information in a fully interactive and downloadable format, for public consumption.
If you haven’t already, please consult our SpaceFund Reality (SFR) ratings page to learn more about the rating, its purpose, and the underlying formula, as well as to view a complete list of the SpaceFund sectors of interest.
How to Use This Table
Sort: Click on the column heading to sort A-Z; click again to sort Z-A.
Search: To search within the entire table, simply type your query into the search area at the top right of the table. If you’d like to search within a specific column, use the search box at the bottom of that column.
Download: You can download this table as an Excel or CSV file by using the icons at the top of the table. You can also print the table.
Screen Size: The database is too big to fit on most screens, so you’ll need to use the scroll bar at the bottom of your screen to scroll right to see additional columns, and continuing scrolling down to see all 100+ companies.
Important Note (Alpha Sort Columns vs Numeric Sort Columns): In the Payload, Launch Cost, and Price columns any figure listed as a “0” is simply a placeholder for unavailable data. Due to the nature of this table format, and to ensure that the columns sort properly, a numeric character must be included in each cell. So, for example, if a company is listed to have a launch cost of “0” this simply means that this information is not publicly available and the “0” acts as a replacement for “N/A”.
The Funding column is set to sort alphabetically. Since this column contains alphabetic characters in many cells, this column will sort alphabetically, not numerically and so the “-” character has been used to represent unavailable data. All other columns in the table will also sort alphabetically.
Important Note (Companies not Vehicles): This database, and the SpaceFund Reality ratings, are based on COMPANIES, not launch vehicles. In the case where a single company has more than one launch vehicle, the data listed is for their largest vehicle. For more information on the different vehicles being manufactured and their corresponding data, please see the individual companies’ websites.
How to Provide Updated Data
Have we missed your company? Do you feel that your company should have a different rating? Is the listed data inaccurate or outdated? Do you see missing data for your company? The best way to update your information in this database is to reach out to us directly to provide additional information about your technology, management team, funding history, and company progress. We are also eager to learn about any additional data sources that can help us in our ongoing research, so please feel free to share any resources you know of with our team.
How Companies are Removed from this Database
It is our goal to keep this database as up to date as possible, which includes occasionally removing companies that are no longer active. Our criteria for removing an entry from this database are as follows:
If entries meet ANY of the following:
- Formal press announcement confirming the company is no longer active
- Venture is acquired by another entity
- Website and all other media/materials are removed from the internet
- Employee confirmation
- Company re-classified (moved to a different SFR database)
Or if entries meet ALL of the following:
- Website copyright has not been updated for 2+ years
- No new company news/updates/press/social activity for 2+ years
- No response after 2 weeks when contacted by SpaceFund via multiple channels
If you feel your company has been removed from this database in error, please reach out to us directly to provide additional information.
SpaceFund Reality (SFR) Rating
Launch Database
Last Update: September 12, 2020
| wdt_ID | Company | SFR | Payload (kg) | Launch Cost ($M) | Price ($/kg) | Funding ($M) | Launch Class | Orbit Altitude | Tech Type | Country | HQ Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1630 | iSpace | 8 | 300 | 5.000 | 16,667 | 275.00 | Small | LEO | Rocket | China | Beijing | iSpace is a Chinese private space launch company developing the Hyperbola rocket family |
| 1631 | Sierra Nevada | 8 | 5,000 | 0.000 | 0 | - | Medium | LEO | Spaceplane | USA | Sparks, NV | Dream Chaser space plane for space station resupply missions |
| 1632 | Virgin Galactic/The Spaceship Company | 8 | 372 | 1.500 | 4,032 | Public | Small | Suborbital | Spaceplane | USA | Mojave, CA | Building a fleet of WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft and SpaceShipTwo reusable spaceships |
| 1633 | Virgin Orbit/VOX Space | 8 | 500 | 12.000 | 24,000 | - | Small | LEO | Plane, Rocket | USA | Long Beach, CA | The small payload orbital launch sister company to Virgin Galactic |
| 1634 | Astra Space | 7 | 204 | 2.500 | 12,255 | 100.00 | Small | LEO | Rocket | USA | Alameda, CA | Providing routine launch access to Earth orbit for entrepreneurs and enterprises |
| 1635 | Firefly Aerospace | 7 | 1,000 | 15.000 | 15,000 | 23.16 | Small | LEO | Rocket | USA | Cedar Park, TX | Developing the Firefly Alpha launch vehicle; highest payload performance with the lowest cost per kg to orbit in its vehicle class |
| 1636 | Relativity Space | 7 | 1,250 | 10.000 | 8,000 | 184.54 | Small | LEO | Rocket | USA | Los Angeles, CA | Designing an orbital-class launch vehicle that's autonomously constructed |
| 1637 | Strato | 7 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | - | Small | Suborbital | Balloon | Ukraine | Kiev | Launching sratospheric balloons for research and promotional purposes |
| 1638 | ABL Space Systems | 6 | 1,350 | 12.000 | 8,889 | 49.00 | Small | LEO | Rocket | USA | El Segundo, CA | Building rockets to launch small satellites |
| 1639 | Exos Aerospace | 6 | 100 | 0.000 | 0 | 9.09 | Small | Suborbital | Rocket | USA | Caddo Mills, TX | Selling reusable launch vehicles for small, sub-orbital scientific/experimental payloads |
| Company | SFR | Payload (kg) | Launch Cost ($M) | Price ($/kg) | Funding ($M) | Launch Class | Orbit Altitude | Tech Type | Country | HQ Location | Description |
SpaceFund Sectors of Interest
SpaceFund is interested in a number of sectors of the space economy, specifically Transportation, Communication, Human Factors, Supplies, and Energy. In the coming months we will post SFR ratings for companies from all of these sectors, providing a robust overview of the state of frontier-enabling companies across the industry. Please check back frequently to view new sub-sector databases, and sign up to receive our emails to be notified of each new release.
Click on the black buttons below to view the available SFR databases.
