Deep Blue Aerospace closes nearly $298M for reusable rockets

Deep Blue Aerospace is building liquid-fueled, reusable rockets for satellite operators that need a ride to orbit. The company completed its B6 and B7 financings for a combined total of nearly $298 million, The Yangtzeer reported. SpatialDaily said the September 24 disclosure appeared on Deep Blue’s official WeChat account.

Deep Blue describes its business as providing commercial launch services. The planned workflow has a customer’s payload ride a Nebula vehicle into orbit while the first stage returns vertically for reuse. Spreading expensive engines and structures across multiple missions is the economic promise, but only after the hardware can launch, land and fly again.

The company has two main rocket lines. Nebula-1 is rated to carry 4 to 6 metric tons to low Earth orbit, while the larger Nebula-2 is rated for 25 metric tons. Both use liquid oxygen and kerosene, and Deep Blue also develops the Thunder engines that power its vehicles.

There is still a large step between that product catalog and an operating launch service. Deep Blue says its inaugural vehicle remains in subsystem ground testing ahead of its maiden mission. The company must still launch the system, recover its first stage and establish that the hardware can be reused in commercial operations.

36Kr reported that the proceeds will finance research, commercialization and industrialization across both reusable-rocket lines. The money is also earmarked for engine-production capacity, launch and test facilities, and hiring—the physical capabilities Deep Blue needs to move beyond development hardware.