If you were told that a New Hampshire startup launched its first payload Saturday en route to creating autonomous robots that can fix satellites in orbit, where would you think it was located?

Probably with the tech firms in Nashua or Manchester. Perhaps alongside Pease airport. Maybe near the space folks at UNH.

You definitely wouldn’t guess the scenic Lakes Region town of Gilford. But you would be wrong.

“This is not where you would expect a space company to be,” said JeromyGrimmet, a founder of Rogue Space Systems Corp., which was born in a Laconia mill building three years ago and now operates out of a commercial strip mall on Route 3. Rogue Space Systems is developing in-space service technology to monitor and repair satellites in orbit, and perhaps eventually tackle the problem of space debris.

Its first satellite THAT LAUNCHED SATURDAY, called Barry-1 after a bat that flew around their Laconia offices and became a sort of company mascot, will test various algorithms and other systems. If all goes well, a second launch in early 2025 will send up a satellite that will test how to maneuver close to another orbiting object – “close proximity operations” in space-talk – and then a third launch will send up a satellite with autonomous robotic arms that should be able to work on other satellites.

This is cutting-edge stuff that would be more at home in Cape Canaveral than Paugus Bay.

“People ask why aren’t we in Colorado or Texas or Florida or California, where the space industry is more predominant,” he said in a Friday interview from California, where he was awaiting Saturday’s launch of the company’s Barry-1 satellite atop a SpaceX rocket. THE LAUNCH FROM VANDERBERG SPACE FORCE BASE IT WENT OFF FINE …

The answer to that question is simple, said Grimmet: “I don’t have to be there.” Remote work makes it possible for about half the 30-person company to be elsewhere without affecting productivity.

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“There are some beneFits to not being in those places: You’re not in the noise. The space industry has a lot of noise in it, and if you’re in the middle of all that, easy get caught up and lose a lot of focus on what you’re trying to do,” he said. “There’s a gravitas about this location, the natural beaUty, outdoor activity. It allows people to take a deep breath. You go to work and it’s an intense environment – the moment I step outside there’s a decompression you get when you’re off the beaten path.

“In larger places it’s stress on top of stress on top of stress. Not here.”

The history of Rogue Space Systems is a New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce dream.

JeromyGrimmet

rogue Space Systems Corp.

Orbital Robotics?

just over 30 onteam –

in-space serving –

really focused on sustianability in space

extending the life of spacecraft –

everyone’s really excited gong through checklist over and over, doing rehearsals

primary payload, 6 cameras, size of a few cig. packs, computer – UP based comuter – give it some space heritage prep for next

first Q 25 –

put out a very measured, deliberate program, advances capability in each successive launch –

6: we were going to try and put everyting in sone spacecraft and we were going to go – dial it back – two down w/ robot arms

next launch – close proximity operations,

the little bat that used to fly around in our office, old mill building in laconia – bats love thoe old mill buildings

barry’s kind of become the company mascot

living in Alton – moved up in 2012 = had an IT co. –

why try to force everybody to come to one spot; why dont we do this remotey

pretty much the entire business has been built around a remote workforce

have some integration right – EnduroSat Bulgaria integ.

clean room inNH own tool kits – looking to expand that for upcoing missions

alsot of machining – UNH right here here in NH

about half co. in NH –

Louisiana orig. –

I just love it up here

old mill bldg on river in Laconia; –

not where you would expect a space company to be

why are’t we in Colo or NM or texas or fla or calfnoia where the space industry is more predominant

I dont have to be there

12 there are some beneits to not

you’re not in the noise – space industry has a lot of noise in it, in the middleof all that, easiy get caught up and lose a lot of focus on what you’re trying to do

I’m good –

people lokoing for something that does have a better work-life balance

try to affect that through the culture

a gravitas about the location – natural bueaty, outdoor activity –

lalows people deep breath, go to work, instense environment – the moment I step outside there’ a decompression you get when you’re off the beaten path

larger places – stress on top of stress on top of stress

dark horse that’s kind of surprising peope

other states, there’s a lot fosuport there, a lot of momny there to help drive those ecosystems for tech

and that hurts, it hurts quite a bit

leadership, political or otherwise, they need to listen

a lot better off

Space Force likes us a lot – about 7.5 million in funding over past couple years, – more proposals in the pieline,

currently raising seed round

realistic, measured projections, appropriation –

space debris – just one service that we provide in a whole suite of services

inisitally, inspection observation mission – review health of other assets in space – then moveing on to other robotics, set up more of a logistics project –

next – up to another spacecraft and do obs – after that w/ robot artms, it’ll be able to reach out and touch

AI and machie learning on board – indepen of ground comm.

CEO – initial founder JeromyGrimmett