Closest to Heaven (5/3/23)

Good morning and happy Hump Day. Do y’all remember that Geico camel commercial from the 2010s? We do, and in honor of it, we’re going to shout out our favorite space Mikes on Wednesdays.

Starting with a classic: Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who didn’t walk so Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin could run. We salute you.

Reply with your favorite space Mike and we might feature your pick next week!

In today's edition...
🌍 European companies band together
📜 NASA, DOE partnership bill
💸 The term sheet

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IRIS² Mega-bidder Forms

In the ultimate example of competimates coming together, Europe’s largest satellite companies announced yesterday that they are joining forces to bid on the EU’s IRIS² program contracts.

Airbus, SES, Eutelsat, Hispasat, and Thales said the partnership will “leverage the expertise and capabilities in the field of secure satellite communications solutions,” according to a joint press release. 

IRIS²: The planned EU mega-constellation consists of ~170 multi-orbit satellites designed to establish robust European space-based connectivity. The infrastructure aims to provide secure and low-latency mobile broadband, surveillance, and cloud-based services across civil and private end markets.

Funding the program: Total IRIS² project costs are estimated to be a whopping €6.0B ($6.6B).

• The private sector will foot €3.6B ($3.9B) of the bill.

• The EU will cover the remaining €2.4B ($2.6B).

The EU expects to turn on the first satellites by the end of 2024 and complete the constellation by 2027.

The Power 5: The five industry giants that have teamed up to bid on the IRIS² EU contracts will likely represent the most qualified consortium, given their scale and unmatched technical capabilities. However, this A-team partnership may present a challenge for EU officials who have stressed the importance of a diverse and competitive bid process.

• The EU stipulated that small businesses receive 30% of the IRIS² contracts.

The group of satellite mainstays acknowledged their shortcomings and called for collaboration with new players. “The consortium will encourage start-ups, mid-Caps and SMEs to join the partnership, resulting in a more innovative and competitive European space sector where new business models will emerge.”

Apple of my IRIS: The EU views IRIS²as a strategically important project to achieve space-based independence. The EU joins the US and China in building sovereign mega-constellations similar to private-sector ones.

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DoE 🤝 NASA

Bipartisan leaders of the subcommittees that oversee NASA and the Energy Department introduced a bill last week that would remove barriers for collaboration between the two agencies.

Reps. Eric Sorensen (D-IL), ranking member of the House space and aeronautics subcommittee, and Brandon Williams (R-NY), chairman of the House energy subcommittee, said the bill will allow for the two agencies to work together in many areas of shared interest.

This is the first bill that Sorensen has introduced in the House since he became ranking member on Feb. 9.

A codified relationship: Right now, NASA and the DOE need to ask lawmakers’ permission to collaborate on new research projects. The two agencies’ common goals and history of working together on spacecraft propulsion and power systems, though, reveal a “natural relationship” between the two, Sorensen said in a release.

The DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act would allow the agencies to forgo Congressional approvals to work together on research projects that support agency initiatives, including designing nuclear thermal propulsion systems, studying the health impacts of radiation exposure, and learning about dark energy and dark matter.

“Together, the DOE and NASA will engage directly on R&D for propulsion systems, fundamental high-energy physics, quantum network infrastructure, and more,” said Williams.

Looking ahead: The lawmakers asked NASA and the DOE to report back after two years on specific projects where the collaboration was helpful, but it’s unclear if the legislation will even make it that far.

Sorensen and Williams introduced the bill on Thursday. As of right now, there’s no update on whether this bill, as well as an additional bill that would similarly lift barriers to collaboration between the DOE and National Science Foundation, will be considered in the chamber, or whether it might be rolled into a broader piece of legislation.

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It's That Time Again

Join Payload with Machina Labs, Bank of America, and Moss Adams for a space industry happy hour in LA on May 17. There will be food and drinks, provided by us, and plenty of space conversations, provided by you.

In Other News

• Spire ($SPIR) launched a weather data analytics platform for the maritime industry.

• UP Aerospace failed to launch a batch of NASA student payloads. Its 20-ft rocket exploded shortly after lifting off from Spaceport America.

• Rocket Lab ($RKLB) CEO Peter Beck talked about the company’s growing launch cadence and their new hypersonic plans for Electron.

• A microwave-sized rover is hitching a ride on a JAXA mission to Mars’ moon Phobos. The rover is so small that driving too fast on the moon’s surface could send the rover hurtling into space in the low gravity.

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The View from the Clean Room

NASA is giving fans a peek into what goes into building a spacecraft in a new video series that will document how engineers are getting Europa Clipper ready to fly in 2024.