April 15, 2024, 2:19 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
When someone orders something, they want it as quickly as possible. The startup Sierra Space promises deliveries in just 90 minutes–across the globe.
At any given time, countless packages are en route to their recipients worldwide. The rule is: the faster, the better. And to survive in the fierce competition among online shops and parcel services, being quicker than everyone else is key. In this context, Sierra Space aims to revolutionize global deliveries–with the help of space. However, they plan to specialize in very unusual goods.
How Sierra Space Plans to Enable Record-Time Deliveries
A press release reveals what Sierra Space is planning for future deliveries. To deliver goods to any location in the world in just 90 minutes, they plan to launch them into space first. The startup has developed a special logistics space capsule called Ghost, which will be loaded with various, pre-defined goods and sent into orbit.
According to current theory, these individual capsules can remain in orbit for up to five years. During this time, they are on standby and can land on Earth with a precision radius of 100 meters when needed. A special technology slows the Ghost capsule to “only” 7,000 meters per second, allowing Earth’s gravity to take effect and guide the spacecraft toward the ground.
The heat shield for re-entry into the atmosphere is designed to withstand temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Celsius. A parachute then deploys, allowing the package from space to land safely. This system could bypass separate rocket launches and landings for individual orders, making it particularly fast and flexible.
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Primarily Military Deployments Planned
Anyone who thinks they can one day choose a Sierra Space delivery instead of DHL for their Amazon order is mistaken. The company sees itself as a “defense technology company,” and accordingly, the space goods will be tailored. Primarily, it will focus on “defense goods” for military purposes.
It is about “national security,” and they want to “have a fleet of Sierra Space Ghost vehicles strategically positioned and easily accessible, deployable within 90 minutes at critical locations worldwide,” as Tom Vice, CEO of the company, is quoted. They aim to deliver “important resources” quickly and precisely to “frontline personnel.”
Only Special Goods Intended for Sierra Space Deliveries
The belief is that the technology could “turn the tide of a conflict.” Against this backdrop, the goods for space can already be clearly defined in advance: The rapid provision of weapons, ammunition, supplies, and other reinforcements is planned. Survival equipment and even an inflatable boat are conceivable. And although Sierra Space does not explicitly state this, aid supplies for disaster relief are also conceivable in principle.
Currently, the Ghost capsules, with which Sierra Space plans to conduct deliveries from space, are in a beta testing phase. They have also undergone several impact resistance tests. It is still unclear when the first Ghost capsules will reach space.