Small-sat launch firm Phantom to open Tucson rocket factory | Business News

[ad_1]

Phantom’s Daytona rocket, seen in this artist’s rendering, is said to propel approximately 1,000 pounds into low-earth orbit.

Phantom Space Corp. moves to new manufacturing facility acquired in South Research Loop on the east side of Tucson.

Tucson’s newest small rocket startup is expanding into a new space with plans for its first orbital flight by 2023.

Phantom Space Corp., founded by SpaceX veteran Jim Cantrell, has moved to a 32,000-square-foot building on the South Research Loop near East 22nd Street and South Pantano Road, which is a factory that builds small rockets to accommodate micro-rockets – Missiles put into service – Satellites into orbit.

The company also recently raised $ 5 million in seed capital for private equity investments and hired the former chief of the Alaska Space Launch Site to lead its launch operations.

Phantom, which was founded in 2019, says it is working to “democratize” space by mass producing small rockets, satellites, and space propulsion systems with the goal of offering hundreds of small satellite launches annually.

The new Tucson factory will build Phantom’s first Daytona missile and will house multiple satellite programs as well as several other space-related secret and unclassified government projects.

The company plans to begin testing its rocket engines later this year and work towards an initial orbital launch by the first quarter of 2023.

‘Henry Ford’ of the aerospace industry

Cantrell, who was vice president of SpaceX for Elon Musk in the early days of the company, says Phantom’s “contrary” approach is to use mostly off-the-shelf components for mass production of rockets and spacecraft.

[ad_2]