Launchspace Technologies

According to an analysis from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, outer space is expected to become a $3 trillion industry.

But there’s a growing problem: space junk. Right now, thousands of dead and retired satellites are floating around in outer space. So are spacecraft parts from decades-old missions, and random items left behind during space-related tests.

Within five years, there will be an estimated 1 trillion pieces of orbital debris. Not only could this hinder the space-travel and tourism markets, but it could even pose a risk to America’s national security.

Launchspace Technologies Corporation is developing a solution. It’s using space-based sensor satellites to detect, track, and remove orbital debris. Its patented solution is designed to protect astronauts, satellites, and the International Space Station (ISS).

Launchspace is off to a fast start. It has relationships with government leaders at NASA, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Space Force. It also has a Space Act Agreement with NASA, which is designing custom materials for the company’s debris-tracking satellites. (Launchspace believes it’s the only company with a NASA Space Act Agreement for orbital debris technology development.)

Furthermore, the company has been awarded a grant from the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, which manages the ISS National Lab.

It’s also signed a contract with Airbus, an aerospace company, to test its orbital debris tracking solution for 12 months on the Bartolomeo platform. This is part of the ISS, and testing is expected to begin in 2023.

As mentioned, space is already full of debris. And it’s getting increasingly crowded. Satellites, for example, are being sent up at a rapid pace. As of May 2021, SpaceX has launched more than 1,700 satellites, and has plans to launch 42,000 more within the next five years.

This excess of satellites and debris is creating major problems. For one, it’s getting hard to maneuver safely. The ISS has had to alter its course 25 times between 1999 and 2018 to avoid collisions. And as space tourism becomes a reality, the need for safe, obstacle-free travel is an increasingly urgent need.

Additionally, adversaries to the U.S. often take advantage of blindness gaps in the country’s ability to detect and track threats to its national security satellites. These observation gaps leave the satellites, and therefore America, open to attack.

Launchspace’s technology can help close these gaps. Its sensor satellite solution and orbital debris remediation spacecraft provide protection to space-based national security satellites. This includes protection from debris, other satellites, and potential attacks from foreign adversaries.

Notably, the company’s technology is intended to serve both low and geosynchronous Earth orbits (another term for both low- and high-orbiting space above the planet). The technology can also protect Cislunar space (the area between the Earth and the Moon).

Launchspace’s primary customers are NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Space Force. The company will generate recurring subscription revenues for use of its debris remediation and sensor-satellite tracking system.

Team Background

John Bauman - Co-Founder & CEO

John is a serial technology entrepreneur, with a focus on satellite telecommunications, broadband, and microelectronics.

He began his career as a business planner with IBM. From there, he became President of Quantum Microelectronics, a hardware technology company aimed at improving the performance of routers.

After that, he was a marketing and product manager with Lucent Technologies, a telecommunications business. He then became Vice President of Product Management with KoolConnect Technologies, a company focused on digital video production.

More recently, John was Head of Business Development with Top Image Systems, a computer software company. He then was a consultant with Scanbuy, a company creating mobile coupons and ads for brands including Coca Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks.

After that, he served 12 years as President and CEO of VOD Consulting Services, a company focused on broadband communications.

John earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Tulane University, and both a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, as well as an MBA, from Columbia University.

Marshall Kaplan - Co-Founder & CTO

Marshall is a world-renowned expert on orbital mechanics and spacecraft, as well as launch vehicle and space systems design. He was the first to study orbital debris with a NASA-funded grant.

He began his career as a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State University, where he taught for 13 years. After that, he became a space technology advisor, advising on space missions and training programs for U.S. and international organizations.

During this time, he was also a senior military space advisor for the Institute of Defense Analyses, providing in-depth analysis on space-related science and technology issues.

More recently, Marshall was a senior spacecraft systems engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

He earned a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and a Ph.D. in the same fields from Stanford University.

Chris Rollins - Sensor Scientist

Chris has spent the past 30 years as Vice President of Research Support Instruments, a company providing R&D services and technical support to aerospace-related companies. In addition, he’s spent the past 15 years with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, serving as a systems engineer and contractor.

Previously, he worked as a contractor at the Naval Research Laboratory, and began his career with Physical Sciences, a technology research company focused on pulsed laser applications.

Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in Physics from Northeastern University.

GP Sandhoo - Advisor

GP has extensive experience in the aerospace field.

He began his career in the military, serving five years in the U.S. Marine Corps. After that, he spent nearly a decade as an engineer with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the NASA Johnson Space Center.

From there, he was an advisor at the Office of Naval Research, then spent time in a variety of advisory and leadership roles with the U.S. Navy.

More recently, GP was a technical consultant with Tierra Luna Engineering, an aerospace engineering company. He then began a 15-year stint with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, working his way up to become the Director of Naval Center for Space Technology.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University, and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins. He also holds a Doctorate degree in Aerospace Engineering from George Washington University.

Co-Investors