US space companies have reported for the first quarter of 2022. Both rocket manufacturers and satellite operators have faced numerous difficulties. Most companies show a decline in financial indicators.
Companies reported for the first quarter
US space companies have released their financial statements for the first quarter of 2022. Most of them show a loss of income and a decrease in revenue. The reasons for this are diverse, but in most cases the main problem is the disruption of supply chains.
The past year was marked by a record number of companies associated with orbital activities. Most of them entered the securities market because of the so-called SPAC agreements on the targeted sale of shares, providing for a merger of companies.
Back in winter, financial experts were cautious about the future of the space industry. They feared that most of these agreements would not pay off. But problems with logistics caused problems even for time-tested companies.
Space companies with the greatest problems
One of the leading US space companies, Planet, has not yet published its financial report. This is due to the peculiarity of its financial accounting. Astra turned out to be the leader in falling revenues. The manufacturer of ultralight rockets of this kind has twice tried to launch them. One attempt ended in an accident, and the second was successful. The total drop in income is 66%.
The financial indicators of another small rocket manufacturer, Rocket Lab, decreased by 62 percent. Neither the successful launches of the BlackSky satellites at the end of last year, nor the new HawkEye launch contract could save the company from problems. Satellite manufacturers Spire Global and Satellogic also suffered significant losses. Their incomes fell by 56 and 51 percent, respectively.
Which companies suffered less
It should be noted that other space companies also have significant financial problems. Terran Orbital, Virgin Galactic, BlackSky, Telesat, Redwire, Virgin Orbit, Mynaric, Momentus — all of them demonstrate a decrease in financial indicators from 30 to 50 percent.
The only exceptions are ViaSat, Aerojet Rocketdyne and AST SpaceMobile. They mainly work with large government orders. Supply chain problems hit them, but turned out to be uncritical. The decline in the financial performance of these companies ranged from 5 to 18 percent.
Maxar Technologies became the only major company that increased its revenues in the first quarter of 2022. This is not surprising, given the insane demand for their pictures observed in connection with the war in Ukraine. However, even their growth is only 1%.
According to www. cnbc.com
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