Aevum Launch, founded in 2016, is a US-based provider of autonomous space launch services for lightweight payloads. They are developing the Ravn X, the world's largest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), designed to deliver satellites to space. Aevum aims to provide rapid and responsive launch capabilities, with the U.S. Space Force as a key customer, and envisions launching payloads from any one-mile runway. Keywords associated with Aevum include autonomous launch, air launch, small satellites, and responsive space access.
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Aevum is one of eight companies selected by the Space Force for the $986 million Orbital Services Program-4.
Aevum's first launch will be a U.S. Space Force mission called Agile Small Launch Operational Normalizer, or ASLON-45.
Aevum plans to conduct vehicle-level testing for airworthiness certification and launch licensing.
Aevum aims to conduct eight to ten launches a year, with launch prices ranging from $5 million to $7 million.
Aevum unveiled Ravn X, the drone aircraft that will serve as the first stage of its smallsat launch system, on December 3.
VOX Space, Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, and Space Vector were notified in June that they would collectively receive $116,000,000 in contracts to launch small satellites for the U.S. government.
On 2020-07-01 the Department of Defense withdrew the small launch contracts that would have been awarded to Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, Space Vector, and VOX Space to launch two rideshare missions over the next 24 months.
The U.S. Defense Department canceled on 2020-07-01 plans to award launch contracts to six small launch vehicle developers: Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, Space Vector, and VOX Space.
The Department of Defense selected Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, Space Vector, and VOX Space on 2020-06-16 to receive noncompetitive contracts to launch two rideshare missions for government customers over the next 24 months.
Aevum will receive a Defense Production Act Title 3 contract to launch two rideshare missions for government customers over the next 24 months.
Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, Space Vector, and VOX Space were selected to receive Defense Department contracts funded under the Defense Production Act to shore up domestic industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAM.gov posted a 2020-06-18 announcement that Aevum, Astra, X-Bow, Rocket Lab, Space Vector, and VOX Space will each receive noncompetitive contracts to launch two rideshare missions for government customers over the next 24 months.
Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida holds an FAA spaceport license and is working with companies Aevum and Generation Orbit to host flights of air-launch systems and hypersonic testbeds.
Eight vendors—SpaceX, Xbow Launch Systems, Northrop Grumman, Firefly Aerospace, United Launch Alliance, Aevum, VOX Space, and Rocket Lab—were selected to compete for OSP-4 missions to launch small and medium payloads over 180 kg.
Atlas Space Operations will provide telemetry, tracking, and command data during Aevum launches, the first of which is planned for 2021.
Aevum plans to build a larger vehicle called Ravn capable of carrying about 300 kg to sun-synchronous orbit.
Aevum conducts vehicle assembly and integration in Jacksonville, Florida, with plans to launch from the Cecil Spaceport.
Aevum set a goal of completing a mission in 180 minutes, measured from receiving a payload to data downlink from an orbiting satellite.
On 2019-10-10, Aevum became one of eight launch service providers qualified by the U.S. Air Force to compete for $986,000,000 in small- and medium-sized launch missions over nine years.
Aevum moved from winning a $50,000 SBIR study grant to receiving a $4,900,000 U.S. Air Force launch contract within three weeks.