Michael Anderson - Seagate Space

Multiple companies are either actively, or working towards, recovery of rocket boosters on barges in the ocean. SpaceX, of course, pioneered the technique, and both Blue Origin and Rocket Lab are developing similar maritime landing platforms.

But a new company based in Jacksonville, Florida hopes to be able to launch orbital-class rockets from a floating platform.

Seagate Space recently introduced itself into the Space 2.0 landscape On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Michael Anderson, Co-Founder and CEO of the company.

Maritime launch has been attempted in the past, with varying levels of success. Anderson says that what his company hopes to do is provide a launch platform that it adaptable to multiple types of rockets, and offers launch providers a more affordable option than most land-based launch facilities.

"What we're designing is a platform that can be constructed modularly, and gives us an easier way to adjust the design to accommodate more than one user," Anderson said. "There's incremental units that allow the asset to be constructed piecemeal. And that allows us to change the form factor, it allows us to change attributes where they're needed, versus not. And it's really unique in maritime, but I think what this industry needs is a unique solution."

Anderson says that the company has targeted a early as this year for an attempt to launch a small-scale rocket, with a test involving a full-scale launch vehicle perhaps as early as 2026.