We wanted to update everyone that we are not launching Sequoia in March, and we’re working with SpaceX to determine the next available launch opportunity. We’re exploring multiple options and given COVID-19, we’ll be working on our plans and releasing more details once we feel we have more concrete updates to share. The pandemic is impacting the space industry, including our supplier network. Our plans are evolving and we will release more details once we have more concrete updates to share.

With COVID-19 comes new and unforeseen challenges to work through, not only for us at Capella, but for the entire space industry. Last week, the City and County of San Francisco issued a ‘shelter in place,’ order. This week, the City of Denver and the City of Boulder also issued a ‘shelter in place’ order. Both orders are impacting our offices. Because Capella Space’s work in satellite and aerospace is deemed part of DHS’s critical infrastructure under The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) directive, we are permitted to continue to work from our facilities. So starting next week our satellite team will return to our San Francisco facilities and remain working in our Boulder office to continue building and testing our satellites.

We are in uncharted territory, and our priority is preserving the health and safety of our team while staying on track to deliver these critical services to our United States Government customers. We are actively monitoring and responding to COVID-19, instituting different measures to reduce exposure for our teams and limit transmission in our communities. For example, our satellite teams will work in shifts in reduced group sizes, we have added in-office safety precautions, and also mandated other teams to remain working from home, among others. We are in regular communication with our remote teams, partners, and customers around the globe as well to closely monitor the situation.

We remain confident in our teams, our partners, and our technology to diligently deliver on our customer’s continued interest in our products. Given the level of uncertainty today, our focus is to remain responsive as the global pandemic evolves. We will rely on our innovative, agile culture to solve challenges and we will provide updates on our Sequoia plans as they unfold. In the meantime, we will continue to build the Whitney satellites to launch them as fast as launch opportunities allow, and we expect to stay on track for 2021.

In the space industry there are many milestones to be met in the months, weeks and days leading up to a launch. This includes activities by launch companies, spacecraft operators like us, and our subcontractors, among many others. Delays are quite normal. We take them seriously and stay committed to being transparent with our customers, partners, employees and investors about what our next steps look like.

Thank you from Capella Space, and please stay safe and healthy