TechCrunch Space: It's a bird, it's a plane — it's a rocket-powered aircraft!

by with No Comment Tech

Image Credits: TechCrunch

Hello, and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. On to the news.

Want to reach out with a tip? Email Aria at [email protected] or send a message on Signal at 512-937-3988. You also can send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at [email protected]. For more secure communications, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop instructions and links to encrypted messaging apps.

Story of the week

I had a chance to catch up with Dawn Aerospace co-founder and CEO Stefan Powell last week to hear all about the latest test campaign of the Mk-II Aurora aircraft. For those unfamiliar, Mk-II is essentially a rocket-powered aircraft, or, as the company puts it, “an aircraft with the performance of a rocket, not a rocket with wings.” Powell had some interesting things to say about nonconventional vehicles:

“I think common knowledge is that spaceplanes have been tried with the Shuttle, and that didn’t work, and it’s a dumb idea. And if not that then, things with wings are stupid because, look at Virgin Orbit, that didn’t work. Air launch is dumb. You have to get to quite a nuanced conversation before you actually understand the difference between what we’re trying to do and the rockets with wings that have flown before us, and how the path we’re on is very much an aircraft path, but there is still a path to making it have the performance of a rocket.”

What we’re reading

I really enjoyed this longer read from The Wall Street Journal, which looked at Florida locals’ reactions to SpaceX’s proposed plans to launch Starship from there. As I reported last month, the company’s plans to launch Starship 44 times per year from Kennedy Space Center ruffled feathers — but it’s also considering a plan to fly the rocket 76 times from neighboring Cape Canaveral. That’s 120 times per year, a proposed cadence that has some Florida residents and business owners concerned.

SpaceX starship fully stacked
SpaceX starship fully stacked.
Image Credits: SpaceX (opens in a new window)

This week in space history

On August 14, 1959, Earth observation was born. The Explorer 6 satellite took the first-ever image of Earth by a spacecraft. It’s, uh, not the most crisp image, but it depicts the north part of the Pacific Ocean near Mexico, and was transmitted to a ground station over a 40-minute (!) span.

Image Credits: NASA

TechCrunch Space: It's a bird, it's a plane — it's a rocket-powered aircraft!

by with No Comment Tech

Image Credits: TechCrunch

Hello, and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. On to the news.

Want to reach out with a tip? Email Aria at [email protected] or send a message on Signal at 512-937-3988. You also can send a note to the whole TechCrunch crew at [email protected]. For more secure communications, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop instructions and links to encrypted messaging apps.

Story of the week

I had a chance to catch up with Dawn Aerospace co-founder and CEO Stefan Powell last week to hear all about the latest test campaign of the Mk-II Aurora aircraft. For those unfamiliar, Mk-II is essentially a rocket-powered aircraft, or, as the company puts it, “an aircraft with the performance of a rocket, not a rocket with wings.” Powell had some interesting things to say about nonconventional vehicles:

“I think common knowledge is that spaceplanes have been tried with the Shuttle, and that didn’t work, and it’s a dumb idea. And if not that then, things with wings are stupid because, look at Virgin Orbit, that didn’t work. Air launch is dumb. You have to get to quite a nuanced conversation before you actually understand the difference between what we’re trying to do and the rockets with wings that have flown before us, and how the path we’re on is very much an aircraft path, but there is still a path to making it have the performance of a rocket.”

What we’re reading

I really enjoyed this longer read from The Wall Street Journal, which looked at Florida locals’ reactions to SpaceX’s proposed plans to launch Starship from there. As I reported last month, the company’s plans to launch Starship 44 times per year from Kennedy Space Center ruffled feathers — but it’s also considering a plan to fly the rocket 76 times from neighboring Cape Canaveral. That’s 120 times per year, a proposed cadence that has some Florida residents and business owners concerned.

SpaceX starship fully stacked
SpaceX starship fully stacked.
Image Credits: SpaceX (opens in a new window)

This week in space history

On August 14, 1959, Earth observation was born. The Explorer 6 satellite took the first-ever image of Earth by a spacecraft. It’s, uh, not the most crisp image, but it depicts the north part of the Pacific Ocean near Mexico, and was transmitted to a ground station over a 40-minute (!) span.

Image Credits: NASA

Disrupt 2024 early-bird prices end at midnight

by with No Comment Tech

This is not a drill! Today marks the final day to secure your early-bird tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 at a significantly reduced rate. At midnight tonight, May 31, ticket prices will increase, so act now to save up to $800 on admission to one of the most anticipated technology conferences of the year.

Disrupt is where you’ll find innovation for every stage of your startup journey. Whether you’re a budding founder with a revolutionary idea, a seasoned startup looking to scale, or an investor seeking the next big thing, Disrupt offers unparalleled resources, connections, and expert insights to propel your venture forward. In addition to amazing networking opportunities, you’ll get to hear from today’s top tech leaders in startup-packed sessions across three days.

Disrupt agenda sneak peek

How the Chainsmokers Bring Value Beyond Their Celebrity Status

While a lot of celebrities invest in startups, the Chainsmokers are different. Instead of angel investing, Drew Taggart and Alex Pall launched a formal fund, Mantis Venture Capital; invest out of a formal closed-end fund; and back companies in industries their celebrity prowess can’t always help in, like security startups and analytics platforms. In this session, Taggart and Pall will be joined by Dan Lorenc, the founder of Chainguard, to talk about how they are an asset to their B2B startups.

Can Startups Reignite American Manufacturing?

Not every startup is building mere software. A great number today are also building hardware, raising the question of where their gear will get designed and built. Some are choosing to invest in domestic manufacturing, often under the rubric of “American dynamism.” This panel will dig into how far — and how fast — the reindustrialization of the United States may occur, and how we’ll pull it off.

Want to see more sessions coming to Disrupt? Check out the agenda page. Make sure you register for your early-bird ticket today so you can attend these sessions, and more, at a great price.

Disrupt 2024 early-bird tickets fly away next Friday

by with No Comment Tech

TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

TechCrunch Disrupt takes place on October 28–30 in San Francisco. While the event is a few months away, the deadline to secure your early-bird tickets and save up to $800 is fast approaching. You have until May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT to take advantage of this great deal!

The countdown is on. With only a few days left at this price point, make sure to grab your TC Disrupt pass now and enjoy significant savings.

Why does TechCrunch Disrupt rock?

TechCrunch Disrupt is more than just a tech conference; it’s an immersive event that drives innovation and growth. Attend three tech-packed days and dive into masterclasses that cover everything from building and funding to launching and scaling your startup. Join a vibrant community of 10,000 passionate founders, investors, and entrepreneurs. With six stages of programming, numerous breakout sessions, and roundtables, the opportunities for learning, networking, and inspiration are limitless.

Who’s speaking?

We just released our first round of speakers! You’ll hear from leaders like:

Alex Wang, Founder and CEO at Scale AI.Dayna Grayson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Construct Capital.Denise Dresser, CEO at Slack.Matt Rogers, CEO and Co-Founder at Mill.Navin Chaddha, Managing Partner at Mayfield Fund.Peter Beck, Founder and CEO at Rocket Lab.Sangeen Zeb, General Partner at Google Ventures.Spenser Skates, CEO and Co-Founder at Amplitude.Vinod Khosla, Founder and Partner at Khosla Ventures.

TechCrunch Disrupt is set to ignite San Francisco from October 28–30, but to save up to $800, you must act quickly. The deadline for early-bird pricing is May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT! Buy now.