Major changes are coming. ABL Space Systems. The leader of the 7-year-old startup made a big announcement on social media last night: the company will no longer focus on the commercial launch market, but instead on missile defense.
ABL was developing a small launch vehicle called the RS1 and a mobile ground system designed to fit inside a shipping container, with the ambition of bringing a truly portable, responsive launch to market for the first time. To that end, the startup invested heavily in developing tech in-house, including a new rocket engine, and infrastructure; They had three test sites, two factories, and a launch site in three different states.
That growth has come at a considerable cost: In total, ABL Space has raised $461 million, half of which came through a $372 million Series B round in 2021 that valued the company at $2.4 billion.
But the startup faced difficulties in actually getting the RS1 off the ground. During the first flight test in January 2023, nine of the rocket’s engines suddenly shut down shortly after liftoff, causing it to fall to Earth, from the launch pad. Crashed and destroyed on impact. Ahead of the second flight campaign this past July, ABL said the rocket experienced a severe anomaly during pre-flight testing that led to The vehicle was damaged.
However, ABL founder and president Dan Piemont said in an announcement Posted on X. and LinkedIn that these failures “[advanced] Our technology readiness.” Instead, he said the reason the company decided to pivot was due to changes in the launch market. ABL did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for an interview.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen our ability to make a meaningful impact in the launch industry diminish,” Piedmont said. “To be successful in an effort as important as growing an orbital launch program, you need a deep commitment from many stakeholders about your mission and potential impact. As the launch market matures, those motivations diminish. And our path to making a big contribution as a commercial launch company became quite narrow.
At the same time, Piedmont says the company felt the U.S. was poorly equipped to respond to missile threats: “We recognized that ABL’s technology required greater test range, more frequent flights, and more creative R&D. can help solve these problems by offering new capabilities. Instead, there will be a need to focus only on the mission.”
He added that ABL sees “substantial opportunity” to apply its existing IP, including the RS1 rocket, to this new mission.
Missile defense is a major area of investment for the US Department of Defense: the Department of Defense Budget for fiscal year 2025 Allocates $13.5 billion for missile defense programs such as tactical missile interceptors and counter-missile technology. Even a fraction of that funding could make it worthwhile for ABL — that is, if it can crack the notoriously challenging government sales environment.
Credit : techcrunch.com
