6 Space Startups Shooting for the Moon

When it comes to aiming for the dizzy heights in business, there is nothing more inspirational than space startups that are literally shooting for the Moon. With space travel and discovery a subject of growing interest and intrigue, there’s a host of ambitious space entrepreneurs trying to hit the headlines. Here are some of the leading names in space entrepreneurship participating in the race to reach the Moon.

SpaceX and Space IL’s Nusantara Satu mission

On February 21st 2019, SpaceX launched a new mission under the name of Nusantara Satu. Carrying 4 payloads, one of which, the Beresheet lunar spacecraft, was facilitated by Israeli startup, Space IL, the mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Nusantara Satu mission marks Israel’s first major voyage into space. Space IL first started work on the Beresheet lander in 2011 as part of an entry into Google’s Lunar X Prize. Although the ambitious startup didn’t meet Google’s deadline, this didn’t quash the thirst for progress, and the 2019 launch represents a huge step forward both for the space industry in Israel and for rocket science, space, and STEM enthusiasts who are thinking about getting involved in privately-funded moon missions.

Google’s Lunar X Prize

Google’s Lunar X Prize was launched in 2007 to encourage international teams to take part in a competition to land the first robotic spacecraft on the Moon. Google sponsored the contest, which was established by the X Prize Foundation. Despite a lot of interest from privately-funded ventures across the globe and some impressive attempts, nobody met the deadline, which was eventually set at the March 31st 2018. But, that doesn’t mean the competition ended.

Pressing on…

A host of startups continuing their efforts to land on the Moon and make strides in discovering and exploring new space:

• Moon Express: Moon Express was founded by a group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs in a bid to win the Lunar X Prize. The goal is not solely to land on the Moon, but one day, to be able to harvest the moon’s natural resources for profit.
• OrbitBeyond: OrbitBeyond is an up and coming spacecraft builder, which aims to provide scientific and commercial clients with a means of transporting payloads to the Moon. OrbitBeyond is a partner of Team Indus and it has a spacecraft ready to fly to the Moon in 2020.
• I-Space, also known as Hakuto KR, is a Japanese team, which was launched to compete in the Lunar-X Award. The company’s main ambition is to find water on the Moon, which will pave the way for creating a new ecosystem.
• PT Scientists: a German new-space venture, PT Scientists is on a mission to bring down the cost of space travel to enable more people to enjoy access to the Moon. This company has designed and fabricated a spacecraft capable of transporting payloads up to 100kg.
• Team Indus: a private company based in India, Team Indus is focused on delivering the world’s first private moon landing.

The space industry is awash with ambitious, intelligent, creative science and space entrepreneurs all vying for the chance to reach the Moon. With the competition becoming increasingly fierce, it remains to be seen which venture will be the first to utter those infamous words, ‘mission accomplished.’

Though, SpaceIL is certainly in the lead.

Find these, and many more under-the-radar space startup companies on NewSpace Hub