Portal Space Systems CEO Jeff Thornburg wanted to avoid the headaches founders are facing trying to reach orbit. So he bought a whole rocket.
The company announced Thursday that it has purchased an entire SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for its Motus Via Sol 2028 mission. While Thornburg said Portal is expected to take up about half of the fairing with its own spacecraft, it’s working with launch integrator Maverick Space Systems to sell the other half to customers looking for rideshare opportunities in a turbulent market.
“I needed to secure Portal’s launch future for the next couple of years. You’re very familiar with all of the angst over launch [availability]….It’s mainly about controlling the destiny of getting our products on-orbit and fulfilling our customers’ mission,” he told Payload—though he acknowledged seeing Portal branding on the side of a Falcon 9 is a nice benefit too.
Why it works: Thornburg said this model works well for Portal because maneuverability in orbit is the foundation of the company. That means the mission can more easily accommodate rideshare passengers, since it can move as needed after drop off.
He also acknowledged that this route to orbit is open to him because of the company’s maturity, including a $50M Series A, flight heritage with a demo mission, and ongoing construction on a 65,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility. He recognized that this path is likely not an option for early-stage founders contending with launch shortages as SpaceX’s rideshare missions will reportedly end.
Makes cents: Thornburg declined to share the financial details about the cost of the rocket, or the rideshare slots. But he said he’s not trying to turn a profit. “It was never a ploy to take advantage of increasing demand,” he said. “As long as our cost is neutral, that was my objective.”
Sun cruiser: The Motus Via Sol mission will be the first flight of Portal’s Supernova bus, powered by Portal’s FLARE solar thermal-propulsion system. Thornburg said Portal is partnering with the Space Force on that demo mission—and that the company has future missions planned with one commercial customer and one defense customer that can’t yet be announced.
In the meantime, Portal is getting ready to launch its Starburst-1 mission—likely the company’s last self-funded demo, according to Thornburg—in October on SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 rideshare.
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