Why I Publish My Blog With Obsidian
Launch Provider Platform
Creating a Launch Provider Intel Platform
Second
We have discussed creating knowledge or intel platforms for various subject areas before. I have an area that I would like you to give me an assessment on. The platform would be an intel center for launch services, basically doing the research on the options out there to get different payloads into orbit so that businesses wanting to field satellites don’t have to. I would include rocket specifications on performance, payload, and size restrictions. Ideally, I would have some idea of the backlog that launch providers have to know how long a customer would likely wait. Evaluate the market feasibility of this idea and consider that I would need to use publicly available data to build such a site and dashboards. Also, what is the level of competition for such a service?
I actually think this is a stronger idea than many of the intelligence-platform concepts we have discussed, but not for the reason most people assume.
The value is probably not in listing rockets. Rocket specifications are widely available. The value is in becoming the decision support system for launch procurement.
The customers are paying to reduce uncertainty, not to learn that Falcon 9 can lift X kg.
Here’s how I would evaluate it.
Overall Market Assessment
Market attractiveness: 8.5/10
Difficulty of execution: 7/10
Competition: Moderate
Chance of building a profitable niche business: High (if specialized)
The problem really exists
Every satellite company eventually has to answer questions like
- Which launcher can actually carry our spacecraft?
- When is the earliest realistic launch?
- What orbit options exist?
- How much schedule risk is involved?
- What rideshare opportunities exist?
- What export restrictions apply?
- Which providers are currently flying reliably?
- Which providers are likely to slip six months?
Surprisingly, no single source answers all of these questions.
Instead companies currently pull information from
- launch provider websites
- brokers
- ESA
- NASA
- FAA
- news
- launch manifests
- FCC filings
- customer announcements
- conference presentations
Much of the work is manual.