{{short description|Former aerospace company}} {{Distinguish|Deep Space Systems}} {{redirect|FireFly (spacecraft)|other space vehicles|Firefly (disambiguation)}} {{infobox company |industry = Space technology<br>Space exploration |foundation = January 22, 2013 |founder = Rick N. Tumlinson <br> Daniel Faber<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>David Gump<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>Kirby Ikin<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>John C. Mankins<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>Stephen Covey<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>Mark Sonter<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>Christopher Cassell<ref name="DSI Team">{{cite web|title=Company Team|website=Deep Space Industries |date=2018-06-01 |url=http://deepspaceindustries.com/company/ |access-date=2018-06-26}}</ref><br>James Luebke<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>Bryan Versteeg<ref name="DSI Team" /><br>James Wolff<ref name="DSI Team" /> |key_people = Bill Miller, CEO<ref name="Deep Space Industries 2017">{{cite web |title=Bill Miller, Veteran Start-Up Strategist, Joins DSI as Chief Executive Officer |website=Deep Space Industries |date=2017-01-09 |url=http://deepspaceindustries.com/bill-miller-veteran-start-strategist-joins-dsi-chief-executive-officer/ |access-date=2018-06-26}}</ref><br>Grant Bonin, CTO<ref name="Deep Space Industries 2015">{{cite web |title=Respected Nanosat Leader Joins Asteroid Mining Team - Deep Space Industries |website=Deep Space Industries |date=2015-09-08 |url=http://deepspaceindustries.com/respected-nanosat-leader-joins-asteroid-mining-team/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908014902/http://deepspaceindustries.com/respected-nanosat-leader-joins-asteroid-mining-team/ |archive-date=2017-09-08 |url-status=dead}}</ref><br>Sagi Kfir, General Counsel<ref name="DSI Team" /> |location_city = San Jose, California, United States |products = Deep Space Xplorer, Comet |website = {{URL|https://deepspace.industries/en/}} |footnotes = <ref name=soper-2013>{{cite news |url=http://www.geekwire.com/2013/deep-space-industries-entering-asteroidmining-world-creates-competition-planetary-resources/ |title=Deep Space Industries entering asteroid-mining world, creates competition for Planetary Resources |work=GeekWire: Dispatches from the Digital Frontier |date=January 22, 2013 |agency=GeekWire |accessdate=January 22, 2013 |author=Soper, Taylor}}</ref><ref name=rincon-2013>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21144769 |title=New venture 'to mine asteroids' |work=BBC News |date=January 22, 2013 |agency=British Broadcasting Corporation |accessdate=January 22, 2013 |author=Rincon, Paul}}</ref><ref name=dsi-pr-2013 /><ref name=wall-2013 /> }} '''Deep Space Industries''', or '''DSI''',<ref name="forbes20130125">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kitconews/2013/01/25/asteroid-mining-becoming-more-of-a-reality/|title=Asteroid Mining Becoming More Of A Reality|last=Létourneau|first=Alex|date=2013-01-25|newspaper=Forbes.com|accessdate=2013-01-26}}</ref> was an American privately-held company operating in the space technology and space exploration sectors. It was acquired on January 1, 2019 by Bradford Space.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/deep-space-industries-acquired-by-bradford-space/|title = Deep Space Industries acquired by Bradford Space|date = 2 January 2019}}</ref>
The company was developing and building spacecraft technology that would have allowed private companies and government agencies to access destinations throughout the Solar System. DSI's goal was to access to deep space and substantially lower the cost of doing so.
==History== DSI was formally announced on January 22, 2013.<ref name="wall-2013">{{cite news|url=http://www.space.com/19368-asteroid-mining-deep-space-industries.html|title=Asteroid-Mining Project Aims for Deep-Space Colonies|author=Wall, Mike|date=January 22, 2013|work=Space.com|accessdate=January 22, 2013|agency=TechMediaNetwork}}</ref> DSI spent 3-½ years investigating the feasibility of space resource utilization. In late 2015, DSI received venture funding<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/newsmetatron-global-deep-space-industries-asteroid-mining-mission-4696981/|title=Metatron Global to invest in Deep Space Industries to advance asteroid mining mission – Aerospace Technology|date=2015-10-18|work=Aerospace Technology|access-date=2018-06-21|language=en-GB}}</ref> to begin the development of a propulsion system and spacecraft capable of traveling from low Earth orbit (LEO) to deep space on its own.
{{asof|2013}}, the company CEO was David Gump, previously of Transformational Space Corporation and Astrobotic Technology. Chairman Rick N. Tumlinson was a founder of the Space Frontier Foundation, among other organizations in the field of space exploration.<ref name="soper-2013" /> <!-- this should probably be broadened into a paragraph on the founders; Gump is only one of many. -->
In December 2014, Daniel Faber became the CEO.<ref>[https://www.abnnewswire.net/press/en/78962/Deep-Space-Industries-CEO-Daniel-Faber-To-Lead-Space-Resources-Company.html Deep Space Industries CEO Daniel Faber To Lead Space Resources Company], ''ABN Newswire''. Retrieved 2024-08-27.</ref> In January 2017 DSI named Bill Miller as Chief Executive Officer. Miller was a startup strategist.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-miller-459aa7132/ William Miller, Chief Executive Officer at Deep Space Industries]</ref>
In 2019 the company was acquired<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |date=2019-01-02 |title=Deep Space Industries acquired by Bradford Space |url=https://spacenews.com/deep-space-industries-acquired-by-bradford-space/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref> by [https://www.bradford-space.com/ Bradford Space], a manufacturer of spaceflight components & systems.
== Spacecraft and technologies == {{Unreferenced section|date=June 2018}} As of June 2018, Deep Space Industries was working on a series of technologies that aimed to lower the cost of access to high Earth orbits and deep space for private companies and government agencies.
'''''Xplorer''''' was a spacecraft concept designed to use its own propulsion system to travel from low Earth orbit (LEO) to an Earth departure trajectory or higher Earth orbits such as geostationary orbit (GEO).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-31 |title=Xplorer {{!}} Deep Space Industries |url=https://deepspaceindustries.com/xplorer/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331150551/https://deepspaceindustries.com/xplorer/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-03-31 |access-date=2024-08-09 }}</ref> Xplorer was to be built to enable exploration and high delta-V applications within low Earth orbits, geosynchronous orbit, near-Earth asteroids, and deep space destinations such as Lunar orbits, Venus, or Mars.
Xplorer was planned to give a 10 kg payload a delta-V capability of approximately 5 km/s, with greater payload masses possible at lower delta-V requirements. Xplorer was planned to be capable of launching on a variety of commercial rideshares to low Earth orbit, and to decouple launch timing from orbit raising and Earth departure maneuvers.
'''''Meteor''''' was a non-toxic rocket thruster using propellants capable of being synthesized from in-space resources. It was designed & prototyped as the propulsive core of the Xplorer vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-03 |title=Meteor {{!}} Deep Space Industries |url=https://deepspaceindustries.com/meteor/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603100741/https://deepspaceindustries.com/meteor/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-06-03 |access-date=2024-08-09 }}</ref>
'''''Comet''''' is a launch-safe electrothermal propulsion system designed for orbit raising, life extension, and de-orbit. It uses water as a propellant, and is scalable from CubeSats to micro-satellites, with a flexible interface suitable for a wide range of spacecraft. Several comet systems were sold to various customers and flew as part of various satellites built for HawkEye 360,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hawk A, B, C (Hawkeye Pathfinder) |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/hawk-a.htm |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref> [https://astrodigital.com/ Astro Digital],<ref>{{Cite web |last=SpaceRef |date=2018-03-13 |title=Deep Space Industries to provide Comet satellite propulsion for Astro Digital |url=http://spacenews.com/deep-space-industries-to-provide-comet-satellite-propulsion-for-astro-digital/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref> and Capella Space;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Werner |first=Debra |date=2019-08-28 |title=Water propulsion technologies picking up steam |url=https://spacenews.com/water-propulsion-technologies-picking-up-steam/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref> production is ongoing in Luxembourg under new ownership.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Werner |first=Debra |date=2021-09-07 |title=Bradford's Comet production moves to Luxembourg |url=https://spacenews.com/bradford-moves-comet-production-to-luxembourg/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Criticism== {{external media | width = 210px | float = right | headerimage= 210px | audio1 = [https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/podcast/is-space-the-place “Episode 206: Is Space the Place? Trying to Save Humanity by Mining Asteroids”], Science History Institute }}
The announcement of DSI was met with both praise and criticism. Several unnamed scientists questioned whether cost-effective asteroid mining could even be accomplished given competition in Earth terrestrial markets and the high cost of returning high-value minerals to Earth.<ref name=rincon-2013/> However, DSI responded to these statements by stating that the majority of the materials mined — principally water — would be destined for use in space, thus avoiding the enormous fuel costs of repeatedly returning to and escaping from Earth's gravitational field, and additionally, that servicing communications satellite constellations could earn the company $5 to 8 million per month.<ref name="dsi-pr-2013">{{cite press release|title=Commercial Asteroid Hunters announce plans for new Robotic Exploration Fleet|date=January 22, 2013|publisher=Deep Space Industries|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10346181.htm|accessdate=January 22, 2013|archive-date=January 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123071849/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10346181.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Whether Deep Space Industries would be competing in similar services as Planetary Resources was also questioned. In particular, Planetary Resources did not release information on their intentions for processing, power generation, or in-space manufacturing hardware and equipment.<ref name=wall-2013 /><ref name=boyle-2013>{{cite news | url=http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/22/16647738-deep-space-industries-lofty-asteroid-ambitions-face-high-financial-hurdles | title=Deep Space Industries' lofty asteroid ambitions face high financial hurdles | work=Cosmic Log | date=January 22, 2012 | agency=National Broadcasting Corporation | accessdate=January 23, 2013 | author=Boyle, Alan}}</ref>
Deep Space Industries did not announce its spacecraft manufacturing partnerships for the '''FireFly 1'''.<ref name=boyle-2013 />
==See also== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * Asteroid mining * In situ resource utilization * Mining the Sky * Planetary Resources * Shackleton Energy Company * Space manufacturing * Space technology * Space trade * Space-based economy * SpaceDev {{div col end}}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{Official website|https://deepspace.industries/en/}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht1_VIw6C98 Press conference, Jan 22 2013] – 103-min video * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhf3_uDz6ks Asteroid Mining 1 session], National Space Society ''ISDC 2013'' conference – 15 June 2013. DSI CEO D. Gump speaks 15:00–28:30, followed by Q&A from the audience. * [http://www.space.com/19378-deep-space-industries-asteroid-mining-photos.html Illustrated concept] – 9-picture gallery
Category:2013 establishments in Virginia Category:Aerospace companies of the United States Category:Asteroid mining Category:American companies established in 2013 Category:Private spaceflight companies Category:Mining companies of the United States