To Infinity, And Beyond! Aerospace Startups Making Waves

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After more than half a century of space travel, private industry is finally getting in on the game. We’ve seen more innovation from the likes of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in the last three years that we’ve seen from the whole government space program in the last thirty. The difference? Private individuals have to take risks, and they have to succeed, if they’re going to make money and stay in business.

But it’s not just SpaceX and Amazon that are redefining the aerospace industry. There are dozens of other companies also vying for venture capital, some of which are in the startup phase. Check out some of these companies: who knows, you might be hearing a lot more about them in the near future.

Earth2Orbit

Currently, the global space industry is worth more than $314 billion, and Earth2Orbit isn’t shy about wanting a chunk of it. According to Entrepreneur magazine, the company has said that it wants a 25 percent share of the global space market by the time it is fully operational. The company’s goal is to transport humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Currently, the company is making money by using its consulting services and selling its remote sensing technology to governments. But it’s also in the business of building living capsules, spacesuits for astronauts and mission simulators.

Aniara Space

One of the reasons why companies like SpaceX have been able to grow so fast is that they have been able to rely on companies, like www.ReliantFinishingSystems.com, to provide expert services and specialized equipment. This same support is available to new space companies too, like Aniara Space. The small startup has been able to put together a series of satellites, something that would have once taken thousands of government employees and bureaucrats, just using the network of suppliers now available to space entrepreneurs. It’s an incredible development for the Washington and Bangalore-based company, meaning that its satellites are expected to go into operation this year.

The aim of the company is to provide a network of small satellites that will form the backbone of a new communication system for emerging markets. Currently, the company has two satellites weighing less than a ton and will make more in the future.

Team Indus

Team Indus was founded back in 2010 and soon received some funding from big names in business, including companies like Infosys, as well as Rajiv Mody. The company has been competing in Google’s $30 million Lunar X Prize and recently it managed to win a $1 million of that prize money by achieving the “Landing Milestone.” The company managed to successfully design and build a new rover that was capable of landing on the moon and traversing the lunar surface according to www.spaceflightinsider.com.

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But the company isn’t just building its own mini NASA rover for the Moon. It also wants to help crowdsource payloads and launch them on ISRO’s launch vehicle, the PSLV. This payload could be anything, from science equipment, to mining apparatus – the possibilities are endless.