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G’day — and welcome to the 119 Trailblazers who have joined us since last time!

We’re Trailblazers, the Space Newsletter that's all about international collaboration—because you never know when you'll need a space-faring friend to pass you a wrench (or a satellite) in orbit.

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In today’s edition

• International Collaboration in Space: Don’t Burn Bridges!

• StarGraph: Gartner Hype Cycle for the Space Economy

• 5 Resources to Boost Your Workflows

• Deal Flow: The Latest Deals in the Space Economy

• GhostInTheMachine: Galactic ambitions, launching without a hitch

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#NEWS

🍪 Space Economy Bites & Snaps

Bites…

⭐ Space Insurance: The space insurance market faced a tough 2023 with losses totaling $1.2 billion, leading to premium hikes up to 160%. This shift affects stakeholders across the board.

⭐ Privacy Concerns: A startup called Albedo is developing satellites capable of zooming in on individuals from space, raising significant privacy and surveillance fears. This technology blurs the line between safety and privacy invasion, warranting public concern.

⭐ Historic Landing: Despite some tense moments, the Odysseus, a groundbreaking private moon lander, has achieved a historic milestone by safely landing on the lunar surface, marking the first commercial lunar landing and symbolizing the U.S.'s triumphant return to the moon since 1972. A small step for the Space Industry; a giant leap for the Space Economy?

… and Snaps

• FAA Boost: FAA forms a new aerospace rulemaking committee (SpARC) to streamline license process for launches and reentries.

• SpaceBalloon Luxury: Space Perspective unveils luxurious, accessible voyages with its innovative capsule.

• Space Sustainability: ClearSpace snatches new UK deal aiming to develop satellite refueling, cutting debris and extending missions.

• Omnispace in Brazil: Omnispace receives regulatory approval to launch S-band satellite service in Brazil, targeting over 735 million.

• Blue Leap: Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket makes its debut, showcasing its readiness and marking a significant leap towards commercial space exploration.

#MARKETWATCH

💹 Investing in the Universe

Here's a list of funds that track companies in the space sector, giving investors access to the expanding space economy. These funds include firms in space exploration, satellite technology, and related areas, offering potential growth aligned with future technological advancements.

• Procure Space ETF (UFO) ▼ $16.97 (-0.6%)

• RK Space Exploration and Innovation (ARKX) ▼ $14.48 (-0.5%)

• S&P Kensho Final Frontiers (ROKT) ▲ $43.78 (+0.5%)

Prices as of February 22, 2024, 3:59 p.m. ET

#EVENTHORIZON

🆙 Trends in Space, Tech, and AI

International Collaboration in Space: Don’t Burn Bridges!

Space exploration requires global cooperation. As a pioneering private space company, SpaceX collaborates extensively - notable partners being NASA and the ESA. These joint endeavors span launching crew and cargo spacecraft, advancing human spaceflight, and expanding satellite infrastructure.

However, SpaceX's approach to Starlink's market access has drawn criticism. It has been accused of burning bridges in some countries with its sometimes cavalier approach. This, in turn, may hinder future foreign companies entering these markets.

In a paper, titled "Analyzing SpaceX's International Collaborations: Conflicts and Coordination Mechanisms with Space Partners", Chinese researcher Yangming Cao examines SpaceX's partnership challenges and strategies.

International cooperation is vital but challenging. Conflicts arise over commercial interests, intellectual property, and technological compatibility. Addressing cultural differences, technological standards, and legal and policy disparities poses additional hurdles. Yet, collaboration is key for sharing resources, reducing costs, and distributing risks among multiple countries. This cooperation is crucial to ensure sustainable space projects and diverse perspectives.

Cao stresses the importance of respecting cultural differences for successful international space cooperation. Adapting to various technological standards and legal frameworks is also crucial.

Specifically, SpaceX uses cross-functional teams, rigorous management, and clear communication for smooth collaborations. Open knowledge exchange also aids technical advancement. Moreover, diversity in partnerships taps specialized expertise across the space industry.

Ultimately, synergizing public and private efforts will advance space technology and exploration. SpaceX's experiences, though not flawless, provide lessons on resolving conflicts and aligning interests.

Global cooperation remains thus key to expanding space access and capabilities affordably. With the space domain becoming crowded, balancing competition with coordination is essential to sustain our future in space.

Read the full paper here.

📚 Additional reading for a deeper dive:

• NASA in the World: Fifty Years of International Collaboration in Space

• A Shared Frontier? Collaboration and Competition in the Space Domain

• Trailblazing International Partnerships - NASA

• Africa’s Emerging Space Programs Take Off

• Developments in Asia-Pacific’s Space Industry

#STARGRAPH

📊 Gartner Hype Cycle for the Space Economy

#PRODUCTIVITY

🎛️ 5 Resources to Boost Your Workflows

Text Blaze → A Chrome extension that boosts productivity with pre-typed templates and grammar corrections, reducing repetitive typing and mistakes.

Sourcely → Find reliable sources for your content.

Monday.com 🎫 → A collaboration platform that allows teams to focus on executing tasks, projects, and processes efficiently and achieve shared goals at scale.

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth → by Chris Hadfield, offers insights on life and work from a celebrated astronaut, sharing lessons on resilience, teamwork, and leadership applicable to various situations.

Marketplace - "The new in-space economy" → Namrata Goswami talks about the space economy's growth to $1 trillion by 2030, its future potential, and updating space regulations.

🎫 indicates a promoted resource, if any.

#DEALFLOW

🌄 The Latest Investments in the Space Economy

Gilmour Space secures $36M Series D for Australian rocket launches, aiming for first orbital test flight.

Space Circling raises over $13.9M Series A to enhance rocket engine production, focusing on innovative propulsion technologies.

Orienspace Raises $83.5M Series B for next-gen rocket development, eyes competitive space launch market.

Trinity Capital commits $120M in equipment financing to Rocket Lab, bolstering U.S. manufacturing and innovation in space technology

#GHOSTINTHEMACHINE

🤖 Inspiration from the World of AI

Galactic ambitions, launching without a hitch

Until Next Time

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🌠 Getting Better Together

I value your opinion, so if you have specific advice or anything interesting you’d like to share, please let me know by replying to this email.

Thank you for reading and see you at the next orbit!

Francois

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