{{Short description|American space company}} {{Use American English|date=September 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
'''Privateer Space''' is an American space company founded by [[Steve Wozniak]], [[Moriba Jah]] and [[Alex Fielding]]. The company has a product called Wayfinder which provides data for [[space debris]] and [[spacecraft]]. Privateer is based in the US state of [[Hawaii]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Junk science: Apple founder Steve Wozniak's mission to clean up space |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2022/10/04/junk-science-apple-founder-steve-wozniaks-mission-clean-space/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004120412/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2022/10/04/junk-science-apple-founder-steve-wozniaks-mission-clean-space/ |archive-date=4 October 2022 |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>
== History == Privateer Space was founded in 2021<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last1=Roulette |first1=Joey |last2=Roulette |first2=Joey |date=2024-05-07 |title=Wozniak's space firm, Privateer, buys Orbital Insight, raises $56.5 million |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/wozniaks-space-firm-privateer-buys-orbital-insight-raises-565-million-2024-05-06/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref> by [[Steve Wozniak]], [[Moriba Jah]] and [[Alex Fielding]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beck |first=Allison |title=Wozniak Cofounded Startup Wants To Bring Space-Based Data Back Down To Earth |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/allisonbeck/2024/08/16/this-steve-wozniak-cofounded-startup-aims-to-be-a-one-stop-shop-for-space-based-data/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> The company was announced with little information by Wozniak and Fielding in September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Elizabeth Howell |date=2021-09-15 |title=Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak wants to clean up space junk with new company |url=https://www.space.com/apple-cofounder-steve-wozniak-space-junk-company |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Space |language=en}}</ref> Due to the lack of information provided about the company, some people thought that it would be capturing space debris, but the company was instead made to provide data about space debris, described by Fielding as the "[[Google Maps]] of space".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Alamalhodaei |first=Aria |date=2021-10-12 |title=Steve Wozniak and Alex Fielding's startup Privateer aims to be the Google Maps of space |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/12/steve-wozniak-privateer-space-company/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> Jah was not with the company when it first started; he was hired as the chief scientific adviser in November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wall |first=Mike |date=2021-10-25 |title=Steve Wozniak's stealthy space startup Privateer hires chief scientific adviser |url=https://www.space.com/steve-wozniak-privateer-hires-chief-scientific-adviser |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=Space |language=en}}</ref>
The first product the company released is Wayfinder, which allows for the tracking of space debris and spacecraft in space.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Alamalhodaei |first=Aria |date=2023-08-01 |title=Privateer wants to create a 'data ride-sharing economy' for space |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/01/privateer-wants-to-create-a-data-ride-sharing-economy-for-space/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref>
The company is making satellites called Pono, where customers can hire and share them after they had already been launched into space and use them to collect data about the Earth, a feature that has been described as "data [[ride-sharing]]".<ref name=":2" /> In late 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pono in Space! Reflections on the road to orbit - Privateer Space |url=https://www.privateer.com/blog/pono-the-road-to-orbit |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=www.privateer.com}}</ref> the company launched a satellite, named Pono 1, into space. In 2021 it was reported that the satellite was expected to stay in space for four months.<ref name=":1" /> In 2023 it was reported that a second iteration of Pono would be launched in mid 2024.<ref name=":2" />
In early 2024, Privateer acquired the geospatial insight company [[Orbital Insight]]. In April 2024 the company raised US$56.5{{Nbsp}}million in a Series A funding round.<ref name=":0" />
== See also ==
* {{Annotated link|Kessler syndrome}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Companies based in Hawaii]] [[Category:Satellite operators]] [[Category:American companies established in 2021]]