
Two space technology startups, OurSky and PlaneWave Instruments, have merged to form Observable Space, a company poised to revolutionize the next generation of telescopes. This merger aims to streamline telescope usability and unlock new market opportunities by combining OurSky’s software platform with PlaneWave’s telescope manufacturing expertise.
The impetus for the merger stemmed from a realization by Upfront Ventures partner Nick Kim. After leading a funding round for OurSky, he witnessed firsthand the integration challenges faced by PlaneWave, despite their expertise in telescope manufacturing. They were using cobbled-together, open-source software, highlighting the very problem OurSky was designed to solve. This realization sparked the merger, bringing together the strengths of both companies.
Observable Space, led by OurSky founder Dan Roelker and PlaneWave founder Richard Hedrick, aims to simplify the user experience by tightly integrating all telescope components, including those not manufactured by PlaneWave. This eliminates the “mash of integration bullsh–” that Roelker describes, creating a more seamless and efficient workflow for users. Their combined capabilities position them as the only U.S.-based telescope manufacturer, giving them a competitive edge, especially with existing clients like NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and Georgia State University’s Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy.
The merger allows Observable Space to expand the market by offering solutions like combining multiple telescopes at different locations to simulate a larger, more powerful instrument, and enabling laser-based space communication, all while reducing costs. Hedrick emphasized the appeal of making their high-quality telescopes more accessible and affordable to both enthusiasts and institutions. He shared an anecdote of an institution that recently commissioned custom-built telescopes, regretting not having Observable Space’s integrated solution available.
With the increasing number of objects being sent into orbit, the demand for space observation and tracking is growing rapidly. Observable Space is positioned to be a key player in this burgeoning space economy, offering solutions for object location and tracking, spacecraft communication, and defense and intelligence applications. Marlinspike managing partner Mislav Tolusic highlighted the increasing reliance on space infrastructure and the critical role Observable Space can play. Embedded Ventures general partner Jordan Noone cited a successful demonstration of the combined technology at Mount Wilson Observatory, where a lost satellite was quickly located, as proof of the merger’s potential.
Observable Space, with approximately 100 employees and facilities in Michigan, Los Angeles, and an observatory near Washington, D.C., is already generating revenue. The combined company has raised $11 million to date, including funding from In-Q-Tel. Roelker and Hedrick emphasized the smooth merger process, despite some “hard things” they had to navigate. When pressed about these challenges, Hedrick jokingly mentioned the crucial decision of whether the company’s theme would be “Star Wars or Star Trek.” The final answer, as Roelker revealed, was “Battlestar Galactica.”