The Spaceport Company is a pioneering startup founded in 2022 with the mission to reinvent spaceports and address the growing demand for launch services. Based in Northern Virginia, the company now has facilities in Florida and Mississippi, bringing together a team with over 30 years of combined experience in the space and infrastructure industries.
The Spaceport Company is developing a worldwide network of launch and reentry sites to serve the growing commercial space transportation industry. Their innovative solution involves using mobile, floating launch pads that can be deployed at sea, offering greater flexibility and capacity compared to traditional land-based spaceports.
The company’s flagship product is a transportable containerized tracking and telemetry station (TTS) that can be swiftly deployed to support launch missions anywhere in the world. This cutting-edge system enables The Spaceport Company to provide essential launch support services to their clients.
In May 2023, The Spaceport Company successfully demonstrated their capabilities by conducting the first-ever commercial rocket launches from U.S. territorial waters in the Gulf of Mexico. This proof-of-concept mission, carried out in partnership with Evolution Space, marked a significant milestone in validating their mobile sea launch concept.
The Spaceport Company has ambitious plans for the future. They are developing orbit-capable floating launch platforms that will support small launch vehicles with payload capacities up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit. The company plans to have 40-45 barges operational by 2035, providing fast and reliable access to space.
Notably, The Spaceport Company secured a $1.5 million contract from the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in June 2023 to complete their first barge. The Department of Defense is investing in responsive launch capabilities, and mobile sea launch pads offer the flexibility needed for rapid launch cadence.
The company is led by a seasoned team of experts:
- Tom Marotta (CEO/Founder): Launch licensing and regulatory expert with diplomatic experience.
- Dave Denholm (VP of Engineering and Launch Operations): Offshore launch site subject matter expert with experience at SpaceX.
- Brig. General Michael C. Dudzik, USAF, Ret. (Operations Advisor): 30+ years in space technology and operations.
- Lindsey Rogers (Communications Advisor): Marketing lead with space studies background.
- Steve Thelin (Engineering Advisor): Sea Launch architect and mission director with 34 years at Boeing and Raytheon.
In April 2024, The Spaceport Company signed an agreement with Maritime Launch Services to provide tracking and telemetry stations for Spaceport Nova Scotia, Canada’s first commercial spaceport. This partnership will contribute to advancing space launch capabilities in Canada.
With its innovative mobile launch solutions, experienced leadership team, and strategic partnerships, The Spaceport Company is well-positioned to play a key role in the rapidly growing commercial space sector. By providing flexible and cost-effective access to space, they aim to alleviate the bottlenecks at traditional spaceports and enable the next generation of space activities.
