Quantum Space to go public via merger with SPAC

Quantum Space will become a public company by merging with the special purpose acquisition company Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI. The transaction is scheduled to close later this year. The company was founded several years ago to develop a line of spacecraft called Ranger. The vehicles are designed to operate from low Earth orbit to cis-lunar space.

Ranger spacecraft capabilities Ranger is intended to service commercial satellites, move payloads, dispose of space debris, and support national defense missions. The spacecraft is described as highly maneuverable and refuellable. The company maintains its headquarters in Maryland and operates a manufacturing plant in Hawthorne, California, an integration facility in Huntsville, Alabama, and a parts and tank manufacturing facility under construction in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Leadership appointment Last month the company named a former NASA administrator as chief executive. The executive holds a bachelor's degree from Rice University and a master's degree in business administration from Cornell University. The executive previously served as a naval aviator and represented Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2012 until nomination to lead NASA.

The nomination was confirmed in April 2018.

Government programs The company participates in multiple government development programs ahead of a formal contract. Proceeds from the IPO are earmarked for the Tulsa plant and continued Ranger development. The first uncrewed test flight, designated Ranger Prime, is scheduled no earlier than the second quarter of 2027.