(upbeat, techno music)
- Most people know SpaceX or the United Launch Alliance,
heavy-hitters in the space industry
that launch big satellites on big rockets.
- [Announcer] And the liftoff of the Atlas V
and NOAA's GOES-S.
- [Loren] But lately, a growing number of startups
have come on the scene that just want to launch
smaller satellites, so how do you do that?
Well, you build a smaller rocket.
Meet Launcher, a startup rocket company
based out of Brooklyn, New York.
Formed in March of 2017, the team is small,
just four full-timers, and this is where they test out
their prototype rocket engine.
A handful of shipping containers that sit
on a quiet airstrip in Long Island, New York.
Leading the team is Max Haot.
Similar to aerospace billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk,
Max got his start in the Internet.
He founded the video streaming company Livestream
before starting his own rocket venture.
- Right now we're a team on a ten year journey
to build a small satellite delivery launch vehicle.
We are testing and developing our first engine
which is called Engine-1.
It's actually the first one we not flying that engine,
but we using it to basically learn,
and obviously also refine our
3D printing partners and the technology.
- And what was your inspiration for going into rockets?
And why specifically small rockets?
- Today there's both a market need for smaller launcher,
but also developing a smaller launcher is less funding,
and actually, a more realistic endeavor, and we know there
is market demand, and we strongly believe in our thesis,
that even in ten years there will be some demand.
- [Loren] Thanks to the miniaturization of electronics,
mini satellites have become much
smaller over the last decade.
Probes don't need to be the size of a bus anymore.
In fact, some can be as small as a shoe box.
The options for getting these satellites
into orbit, however, are limited.
And typically, small satellites
hitch rides on larger rockets carrying heavy payloads.
But this means they don't have priority
over where they go in space.
That's why companies like Launcher
want to focus solely on launching small satellites.
The team is currently working towards
creating a four engine rocket that is
65 feet tall, and capable of getting
662 pounds of cargo into orbit.
But that rocket doesn't exist yet.
Right now, Launcher is working with
a 1:40th scale prototype of their engine,
and they've invited us to see it in action.
What is today's test, you guys are still
very new into the testing process, right?
So we're seeing a very, like, one of
the first tests, right?
- So, as I mention, ten year journey
it's less than one year. We've built a team.
We've built all of this, we've raised funding.
We've built a test stand behind and all the electronics
system, and the software you'll see
in the control room, and all the cameras to see this.
And we've built our first engine.
So, this engine has been fired only two times successfully.
Six second test each, and today we're doing
a fifteen second test because we have enough
data to show that the cooling is working as expected.
Which means we can push it further.
We hope, without the risk of any melting.
- [Operator] LOX is filled, lines pre-chilled.
- Confirm, Luis.
Turn on video cameras.
- [Operator] Cameras on and running.
- [Max] Brian, to return to command. Done.
Clear area procedure.
Siren, three, two, one.
(siren blaring)
- [Brian] Auto sequence started.
- Thirty seconds. That's quick.
- [Brian] T-minus twenty five.
T-minus twenty. Starting pressurization.
(radio chatter) Pressing LOX, pressing kero.
T-minus fifteen. Neither tank good pressure.
- [Operator] LOX confirmed pressed.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
(engine igniting)
Abort! Abort!
- [Brian] Flood, flood, flood, flood.
(fire extinguishing)
- I'm sorry, Loren! We are as disappointed as you are!
- [Loren] That was still a good show!
- We didn't hear it. Hopefully you'll be
back for the next one.
- [Loren] Yeah, we'll just have to come back,
that's all we make.
It definitely looks smokey.
- Yeah, so, you can see what's going on there,
the cables, the state of the cameras.
- Just going for a moodier vibe.
- Yes. You'll see there's a hole.
- Oh, yeah, it definitely see that.
- There you go. And you can see the line,
this is the the line for the liquid oxygen that uh--
- [Loren] And there I see your camera got lost.
- [Max] Yeah, they're not rocket fire proof,
we can replace them.
- [Loren] Most things aren't, so.
Well, if you'll have us we'd love
to come back and try again maybe?
- Yeah, of course! We'll be firing multiple
times a week, and I hope you can come back.
- [Loren] I mean, that's what testings all about!
(electronic music)
The Launcher team has done a bunch
of successful tests over the past four months,
and they've invited us back to hopefully
see one of them this time!
It's going to be exciting!
Even more exciting, the weather is much nicer today.
- [Max] Thank you for coming back!
- How are you feeling about today?
- Oh, we feel great, like since last time,
as you know we had our first and only failure.
We had a lot of learnings, which were great.
We learned about kerosene contamination,
and since then we had, this is today
twenty fifth, I think it was the fourth
or the third when you were here last time.
- [Loren] The issue last time was that the propellants,
liquid oxygen and kerosene,
mixed before they were supposed to,
resulting in the fireball.
Since then, Launcher has improved their testing procedures,
and the odds seem better today.
For this test, Max and I decided
to watch from behind the blast wall.
(siring blaring)
Not terrifying at all.
- [Operator] Auto sequence started.
- Okay, then press the button.
- The button is pressed, it's happening!
- [Operator] Ten, nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four, three, two, one.
(engine igniting)
(Max and Loren celebrating)
- [Loren] Yay, we did it!
Nicely done!
That was awesome!
- So, was that worth the trip?
- Yeah, that was definitely!
- Some people say it opens a portal to other dimensions.
(engine venting)
- [Loren] Now that you've done a couple dozen tests,
what is the future like?
Where do you see yourself having a fully
realized engine in the next couple of years?
- Right now we're moving all of our, when we're done here,
all of our design time to our Engine-2
And we hope to be firing it by the end of next year,
turbo pump, and then the end of 2020
for the full engine assembly.
- And then when is the goal for the first launch?
- So, our goal for commercial is 2026.
We hope that we will be flying.
At that point it will be two to three year
before 2026. - Okay, great.
- So 2023, 2024.
So, we see this growth, we see that in 2026
more than 10,000 CubeSats a year
will need to be launched, last year
only 300 were launched.
And we see a bunch of companies,
there's probably a hundred people
around the world trying to do what we do.
But if you look at any startup, many will fail,
many will not be there, and if the demand
is what there will be in 2026 we think
we will be in a really good spot.
- [Loren] So, today was a success!
But, there's still hundreds of tests
to go before Launcher is going to send something to space.
Still, it's fascinating that we're living
in an era right now where small startups
are even attempting things like this.
Who knows what the landscape is gonna
look like in the next decade?
Do you love Verge Science Video?
Well, we love making them!
So, subscribe to see where we head next!
Thanks for watching!