Astron Systems Thesis cover image.jpg

Summary[1]Edit

The small satellite market has grown steadily over the past decade, it continues to follow an upward trajectory and is projected to represent much of future launch demand.

Existing launch providers however struggle to manufacture and launch vehicles frequently enough and the price to fly on such services remains a significant barrier for small companies seeking to leverage space access.

Astron Systems is using the physics of smaller scale launch vehicles to develop a fully-reusable launch vehicle, and the required technologies, to deliver much lower cost and much higher frequency launch capability to the small satellite market.

Our mission is to drive down the cost of access to space to enable transformative downstream technologies which improve life on Earth.

Investment Interview[1]Edit

Explain what your venture does.

We are using the advantages inherent of smaller scale launch vehicles, along with largely understood technologies, to develop a fully-reusable launch vehicle to provide much lower cost and much higher frequency launch capability to the growing small satellite market. In the near term, this involves creating a prototype reusable rocket motor ideally suited for this scale vehicle. This rocket motor technology, once proven, may additionally be sold to other interested parties to help fund development of the full vehicle.

What stage is your business?

We are at a pre-seed stage and are currently looking to raise funding to create a prototype reusable rocket motor, this is being done through a combination of research grants and private equity.

Explain the ownership structure of your company.

The company is owned equally by the founding members.

How many employees do you have?

  • Eddie: CEO and engineer
  • Kieran: COO, CFO and engineer
  • Rafal: CTO and engineer


Explain the core technologies and/or service propositions of your venture.

The key proposition put forward by Astron Systems is a fully reusable launch vehicle capable of delivering low cost and high frequency space access to the rapidly growing small satellite market. There are two key technologies in the vehicle which make this possible - The small methane and liquid oxygen rocket motor optimised for reusability and the reusable re-entry and recovery system. The recovery system takes advantage of the smaller scale nature of the launch vehicle and recovers the vehicle using parafoils to slow down each stage and a helicopter to retrieve.

RisksEdit

As with any investment, investing in Astron Systems carries a level of risk. Overall, based on the key risks highlighted below, the degree of risk associated with an investment in Astron Systems is higher than in a company that's trading on a public market.

Early-stage investmentEdit

Astron Systems is at one of the earliest stages of the business lifecycle, and the failure rate of companies at that stage is usually much higher than those at a later stage.

Illiquid investmentEdit

The number of transactions in shares of private companies is usually significantly lower than in public companies, typically resulting in it taking longer to sell shares in private companies at a price that is at least equal to the price that the shares were bought at. Accordingly, the Astron Systems investment opportunity is considered to be higher risk than more liquid companies.

ActionsEdit

To contact Astron Systems, click here.

References and notesEdit


  1. 1.0 1.1 Source: the company.