Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. (Voyager) has announced the company’s intent to acquire a majority stake in XO Markets and that firm’s largest subsidiary, Nanoracks.
Nanoracks is a leading provider of commercial space services and, as part of the transaction, Voyager will be infusing significant growth capital into the business to support the continued growth of Nanoracks use of the International Space Station (ISS) on behalf of itself and its customers, and the Nanoracks Space Outpost Program for private space platforms.
Nanoracks has launched more than 1,000 projects to ISS, including microgravity research, smallsats and missions to both LEO and deep space. Nanoracks and also recently launched the first commercial airlock – The Bishop – on the SpaceX CRS-21 mission on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The Bishop Airlock is the first-ever commercial, permanent addition to the International Space Station, bringing five times more customer volume than currently available through the existing, government-operated airlock.
The company is also actively working toward its long-term Outpost Program, which will enable Nanoracks to own, operate and leverage commercial space stations, repurposing in-space hardware to make discoveries that will change life on Earth.
Voyager recently announced that it would be expanding its footprint within the space supply chain via the acquisition of a majority interest in The Launch Company, which would join current subsidiaries Pioneer Astronautics and Altius Space Machines. In addition to the firm’s growing subsidiary list, Voyager has also continued to increase the members of their executive team. The company recently expanded a Washington, D.C. office with the appointment of industry veteran Eric Stallmer as EVP of Government Affairs and Public Policy.
“Over the past decade my team and I have worked to grow Nanoracks from a garage-based start up into the first commercial space company with customers,” said Jeffrey Manber, CEO of Nanoracks. “We continue to push the envelope of what’s possible in commercial space. This critical leap forward takes place as we have worked closely with NASA, the European Space Agency and industry partners to equip the International Space Station with our Bishop Airlock. With Voyager, we’re confident in our expanded team’s ability to continue to deliver game-changing technology industry-wide.”
“Voyager is always on the lookout for organizations doing things differently. Our model is best suited for companies like Nanoracks, who are at the forefront of innovation and growing rapidly,” said Matthew Kuta, President and COO of Voyager Space Holdings. “With Voyager’s support, Nanoracks can continue to do what it does best: develop in-space services and technology that is poised to transform life on Earth and in space.”