The Falcon 9 Asiasat 8 launch. Image via SpaceX
The world’s largest commercial space operation, SpaceX, has begun seeking investment with the intention of reaching a valuation of US$10bn with plans to send craft and men to Mars.
The company established by Elon Musk has quickly established itself as one of the most important companies in the continuation of spaceflight and exploration. SpaceX has already signed a number of deals with US space agency NASA over transporting goods and equipment to and from existing space operations, including the International Space Station (ISS).
According to TechCrunch, the latest round of fundraising will include a substantial second round of investment ranging somewhere in the region of US$200m, equal to previous estimates by the group Quartz.
The bulk of this round of funding is believed to largely be from both US and international sources, particularly financiers and investment firms including Draper Fisher Jurvetson, which has previously funded SpaceX.
Expected to help with its push for more funding, only yesterday did SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket make a safe landing in the Atlantic Ocean after successfully delivering six commercial satellites into Earth’s orbit.
The team behind its operation posted a video of its impressive landing as it fired its trajectory rocket prior to hitting the water to achieve a softer landing.
