Baloon satellites to space Investments into space startups be | Tech for Good

Baloon satellites to space

Investments into space startups beat all records in 2021: $17 billion, up from $9 billion in 2020. And while there is a race to build bigger rockets for big payloads (hey, Starship), there is also the exciting tech on the other side of the payload spectrum.

A Canadian Spaceryde aims to deliver small satellites and payloads into space. Smaller projects may not afford ridesharing on SpaceX rockets, and those who can still have to deal with narrow launch schedules. So instead of launching rockets from the ground, the startup uses balloons to carry them into the upper atmosphere before launching. That makes its services highly customizable and affordable.

A hydrogen-filled balloon lifts the rocket to the outside edge of the atmosphere, where the air drag is not a problem. It also provides another benefit - the rocket design may be completely different. That's what Spaceryde is doing by building "fat" rockets with a perfect balance between structural integrity, fuel efficiency, and payload capacity.

A big part of the SpaceRyde value proposition is that small satellite companies may choose when to launch and the exact orbit they want. The SpaceRyde attaches a carrier that looks like a quadrotor drone to the rocket. The carrier uses software calculations to ensure the rocket is aligned correctly at launch.

The small payload space delivery market is growing incredibly quickly. We have already covered Indian Pixxel and Canadian Wyvern as consumer examples of these services. Spaceryde has already managed to get regulatory approval for launches and plans to carry live payloads for orbital and suborbital flights as early as 2023.

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