Monthly Archives: April 2021

UKRAINE - 2021/02/21: In this photo illustration a Spacex logo is seen on a smartphone and a pc ... [+] screen. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Elon Musks privately held rocket company SpaceX raised around $1.16 billion via equity funding over the last two months per SEC filings, with the company now reportedly being valued at $74 billion. This compares to a previous valuation of $46 billion based on a $2 billion fundraise last August. So what has really changed for SpaceX to command a 60% jump in valuation?

See our dashboard analysis detailing SpaceXs Revenues and Valuation for the underlying numbers on launches, revenues per launch, and valuation multiples.

There is an increasing shift from government-driven space programs toward enterprise-backed programs and SpaceX has a nice track record of winning contracts from government agencies, particularly from NASA and the U.S Department of Defense. Starlink, the companys satellite-based Internet service - which we see as a big driver of SpaceXs long-term potential - went into beta testing a few months ago and should start generating revenues this year. (related Starlink Valuation: What Could SpaceXs Starlink Service Be Worth) We also expect SpaceXs total number of launches to grow this year, with total revenue expanding to about $1.6 billion. Moreover, new areas such as space travel and point-to-point transport around the earth are also on SpaceXs radar and could help revenues in the medium to long term.

There are likely some market-related factors driving SpaceXs valuation as well. With interest rates still remaining low compared to historical levels, investors have a greater appetite to bet on futuristic companies working on the cutting-edge and moonshot projects. This is likely helping SpaceX. Moreover, investors likely view SpaceX as a solid play on the emerging space economy. Although there are other publicly listed plays on Space, SpaceX has a strong record of innovation and execution, having the distinction of carrying out the first commercial manned launch, while raising the bar for reusable rocket technology.

[2/2/2021] How Is SpaceXs Starlink Service Shaping Up?

SpaceXs satellite-based Internet business, Starlink, is seen as the biggest driver of the space exploration companys valuation, given its large addressable market. (Related: SpaceXs Revenues and Valuation) So how is the service shaping up? Starlink went into beta testing about four months ago, providing services in the northern United States, Canada, and some parts of Europe and the company says that it now has over 10,000 users globally. SpaceX charges beta customers $99 per month, and theres also an upfront charge of about $500 that goes towards the satellite dish and related kit. The company is reporting speeds of between 50 to 150 Mega bits per second on the service. While this makes Starlinks service pricier and slower than some mainstream broadband offerings, both metrics are likely to improve as the company builds scale (more satellites and ground stations) and signs on more users. The company has already launched over 1,000 working satellites for Starlink and intends to have a total of around 42k satellites once the project is complete. SpaceX was recently awarded close to $900 million in subsidies by the FCC, under the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund which aims to bring high-speed Internet across the U.S., particularly in rural areas. This could also help the economics of the service, to a certain extent. That said, competition is also mounting. Wireless carriers have been betting big on 5G technology which can offer gigabit-speed internet over wide areas, competing head-on with the fixed-line internet services. It remains to be seen if SpaceXs service can offer customers an attractive value proposition as competition increases.

View our interactive dashboard analysis, Starlink Valuation: What Could SpaceXs Starlink Service Be Worth? to modify our key assumptions to arrive at your own estimate for Starlinks valuation as it heads toward an IPO.

[Updated 2/12/2020] How Much Value Could SpaceX Unlock From Starlinks Proposed IPO?

SpaceX recently indicated that it could spin off and pursue an IPO for its satellite-based Internet business, Starlink. The Starlink service, which is likely to see operations begin later this year, aims to provide high-speed Internet globally in a cost-effective manner by leveraging a constellation of several thousand satellites. While SpaceX has not given a definitive timeline for an IPO, it has indicated that it could occur within the next few years. According to our analysis, we estimate that Starlink could be worth about $30 billion by 2025, assuming it generates revenues of about $10.4 billion then and is valued using a P/S multiple of about 3x. Below, we provide a breakdown of the opportunity Starlink provides to SpaceX and the potential risks.

View our interactive dashboard analysis, Starlink Valuation: What Could SpaceXs Starlink Service Be Worth? to modify our key assumptions to arrive at your own estimate for Starlinks valuation as it heads towards an IPO.

Why Starlink is Crucial To SpaceX

Estimating Starlinks Valuation

We project that Starlinks first full year of service will be 2021, with coverage spanning a large portion of the global population by 2025. We also expect that Starlink will primarily compete with fixed-line broadband services, as its receivers are expected to be somewhat large for truly portable use (likely pizza-box sized).

2.1 Estimating Starlinks Total User Base

2.2 Estimating Starlinks Revenues

Monthly ARPU

2.3 Estimating Starlinks Valuation using a P/S Multiple

What Are The Key Risks Associated With Starlink?

2020 has created many pricing discontinuities that can offer attractive trading opportunities. For example, youll be surprised how counter-intuitive the stock valuation is for General Motors vs Comcast.

See allTrefis Price EstimatesandDownloadTrefis Datahere

Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs ForCFOs and Finance Teams |Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams

See the article here:

Is SpaceX Really Worth $74 Billion? Forbes - Forbes

The Natural History Museum is presenting its 2021 Lecture Series: Trailblazing Women in Science.

The series spotlights trailblazing women who are exploring the unknown, offering unimagined ideas, and paving the way for future generations.

You still have time to hear the last two women speak virtually, broadcast live on the web.

Dr. Nalini NadkarniBranching Out: Exploring the Tapestry of the Forest CanopyThursday, April 15, 2021 at 6:30pm.

Dr. Nadkarni is known as the "Queen of the Forest Canopy". Nadkarni will talk about her pioneering research on the biota that live in the treetops of tropical rainforests that play critical roles in ecosystem processes.

Mae JemisonKeynote speakerApril 22, 2021 - 6:30pm

Mae was the first-ever woman of color in space and she is the keynote speaker. She will discuss the 100 Year Starship Initiative she leads which seeks to ensure the capabilities for human interstellar travel beyond our solar system within the next 100 years.

To register for the lectures, please visit nhmu.utah.edu.

Originally posted here:

Travel deep into the forest with the "Queen of the Forest Canopy" and out into space with the first woman of color in space - fox13now.com

Neptune, photographed by Voyager 2 in 1989.NASA / JPL image

According to Wu Weiren, one of the leaders of the Chinese lunar research program, the two devices should be 15 billion kilometers from Earth by 2049. This is 100 times the distance from Earth to the sun. The centenary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China will be celebrated in 2049.

Initial plans for the Chinese Interstellar Express have already been submitted, but in an interview with China Space News this week, Wu said the mission is now officially part of the new five-year plan for Chinese space travel.

This is just going to happen, says Mark Klein Wolt, an astronomer from Nijmegen, who previously conducted a Dutch radio experiment on a Chinese satellite. If China says it will do something, it will. It is completely in line with their ambitious policy.

Space race

China is participating in a geopolitical space race with the United States. After a successful moon landing, plans are now underway to establish a manned lunar base with Russia. A Chinese robotic car is due to land on Mars next month, and its space station is under preparation.

The two identical probes on the Interstellar Express will close close to the solar system in opposite directions. Theyll basically measure the interaction of the solar wind the electrically charged particles that the sun blows into space with the extremely thin matter of interstellar space.

Just like the American Voyager space probes 40 years ago, Chinese aircraft first fly over Jupiter or Saturn, where they are accelerated by the giant planets gravity. One is also to fly through the distant planet Neptune in the year 2038. It was examined closely only once before, in 1989 by Voyager 2.

In Chinese Space News, Wu described the project as Chinas contribution to the world and to humanity. Kline and Walt interested anyway. Who knows, we might also be able to turn a radio antenna on this.

Excerpt from:

Comments on: A new step in the space race: China travels to the stars - Commentary Box Sports

For Erik Lindbergh, whose grandfather Charles Lindbergh famously piloted the first-ever nonstop flight from New York to Paris, charting unknown territory comes naturally.

Instead of flying over the Atlantic Ocean, however, his aspirations have evolved to meet modern challenges. Namely, he aims to popularize electric air travel.

Electric propulsion is the future of transportation most every form of transportation, he said, in a recent Aviation Outlook virtual event, noting that the technology still has a way to go before it is perfected. The biggest issue in electric flight is the amount of energy you can pull out of a battery. So we saw there was a huge market.

Through his company, VerdeGo Aero, which provides powertrain systems and engineering services to the emerging electric aircraft industry, and is a partner in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Universitys Research Park, Lindbergh attempts to meet that market demand through a phased approach.

The next Aviation Outlook webinar event will feature Bonny Simi, head of air operations and people at Joby Aviation, a company that is currently developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft that intends to operate as a commercial passenger ridesharing service, beginning in 2024. The Zoom event will take place 6 p.m. EDT Thursday, April 15. Register now.

Hybrid is really what we see as the bridge to full electric, he said. This is how were going to get to market.

For example: during takeoff and for thrust, use gas; the rest of the time, go electric.

If we want to see aviation become clean and quiet and sustainable, we need to invest in it, he added, noting that the same is true for space travel. We need to develop this technology.

For Lindbergh, challenging the status quo is key to seeing continued growth in the aerospace and aviation sectors, and it was the core concept behind his grandfathers transatlantic flight.

Before my grandfather flew across the Atlantic, people who flew in airplanes were called barnstormers and daredevils, and they often lost their lives in that pursuit, he said. After he flew across the Atlantic, people who flew in airplanes were called pilots and passengers. It was a shift in the worlds perspective about what airplanes can be used for.

Within six months of that historic flight, the number of pilots in America tripled, Lindbergh added. The number of licensed aircraft quadrupled. And pre-pandmic, more than 1,300 flights were traveling across the Atlantic daily.

Hyper-aware of the impact his grandfather had on the world, Lindbergh said that the lesson of that famous flight has guided most of his adult life including when he piloted his own solo trip across the Atlantic.

He remembered a moment during his flight when the communication systems shut down, and the quiet gave him time to take in his surroundings, time for contemplation. And it was just then, he said, that he felt most connected not only to the world but also to his grandfather.

I realized I was cradled in the same sky he was, he said. And he thought about how much more difficult his grandfathers flight must have been, using more primitive controls, much less communication and an unproven aircraft. (His flight) was a breakthrough moment in history, showing the world really what was possible.

That concept pushes him every day to uncover what other innovations might be possible, which is why in 1996 he helped launched the XPRIZE Foundation, which awarded a $10 million prize to the first successful privately manned space mission. That prize contributed to jumpstarting the commercial space industry we see today.

Were living in the most exciting time that Ive ever seen in aviation, he said. What weve seen in the electric propulsion side is that its moving faster than ever. Its actually moved faster during the pandemic. We have seen tremendous growth.

The full April 13 webinar, sponsored by the College of Aviation and featuring Erik Lindbergh, is available forplayback online. For recaps on prior guests, visit theAviation Outlookwebsite.

Posted In: Aviation

Read more from the original source:

Erik Lindbergh: Right Now is the 'Most Exciting Time' in Aviation - ERAU News

Spring has sprung, and its a bit springier than usual. The birds are singing with extra chirp, cherry blossom trees are bright with bloom, and buds are bursting open with a flourish. The annual opening of the natural world is enhanced this year by our own national reopening, as bars, restaurants and shops come back to life. As the bank holiday weekends race towards us with the promise of newfound fun and freedom, one sector of the hospitality industry has an extra-bullish bounce: camping is set for a breakout year.

Campsite owners across the country are busy cleaning, repairing and sprucing their campsites to be ready for what looks set to be the biggest UK camping season on record. Theres an expectant buzz in the air, as bookings are bounding in like never before. On the Cool Camping website alone, bookings are up by over 500 per cent this year compared with 2019, so the buzz is very real, with a new wave of holidaymakers set to embrace UK camping for the first time this season. Admittedly, uncertainty around foreign travel has added to the staycation surge, and the interest in camping in particular.

The fact that a UK camping holiday can cost less than pre-travel Covid tests for all the family must surely be a factor in peoples minds as they cost out the options. And then theres the traffic light system. Being stuck in expensive hotel quarantine when the traffic lights suddenly change is not the dream end to any holiday. Removing that possibility makes everything less stressful.

So a domestic camping trip is the answer for many of us this year. It certainly seems that the nation cant wait to find freedom among the woodlands and fields not surprising given the confines within which life has operated for so long. The pleasure of being outdoors is now appreciated fully, when previously it might have been taken for granted. The inevitable result is that camping is on the cusp of a boom. People want out, and theyre busy booking up their personal slice of fresh-air-filled happiness.

Thankfully, there should be plenty of space for everyone, as the increase in demand has been accompanied with a similarly vast explosion in places to camp. Planning regulations have been relaxed on temporary pop-up sites, allowing them to open for longer without a full campsite licence, thus making them viable for more land owners.

Hundreds of these pop-up sites will be dotting our great landscape with camping pitches and boutique bell tents, opening up incredible, scenic places for campers to enjoy. Farms, stately homes even schools and rugby clubs are all making use of the opportunity to host campers. Many will be offering simple pitches and basic facilities for bring-your-own-tent campers, but others involve larger operators who are known for providing glamping accommodation at festivals, now redirecting their tents and expertise to offer luxury holidays in places around the UK.

Its not just pop-ups on offer, either. The past year has seen an increase in applications for new campsite licences, as land owners pivot their businesses to match a renewed interest in camping. Some have also been able to secure government grants to invest in building more permanent structures, such as treehouses or woodland cabins as part of the Covid recovery programme.

So it seems a bigger, more permanent revolution in UK camping is under way, changing the landscape of Britain forever. This is all great news for us happy campers. We have the privilege of being able to discover and explore new corners of our countryside that have previously been out of bounds; to camp in places that have never been camped in before. Its one of the better side-effects of this pandemic, up there with extended family walks and getting to know the neighbours.

With the May long weekends coming up, its the first opportunity weve had in a while to dust off the canvas, stretch those pegs, and perhaps experience some of these new openings. The campsites are ready for us, and it looks like many of us are raring to go. Even if the roadmap to the wider post-pandemic holiday landscape is not yet clear, a canvas spring is already upon us. And I, for one, cant wait to get out there.

Jonathan Knight is the founder of coolcamping.com. The latest edition of Cool Camping Britain is out now (Punk Publishing; 16.95)

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It looks like the busiest season ever for campsites but there should be space for everyone - Telegraph.co.uk