Posted on January 1, 2025
By Lorraine Mirabella
Andrew Parlock envisions a corner of a former embroidery factory in Hollins Market coming to life with engineers, spacecraft parts and technology. It’s part of a larger vision for his small startup to begin shipping cargo to space in a matter of years. Parlock, a self-described space nerd and former Northrop Grumman Space Systems manager, has settled on a now vacant suite of offices in the historic Lion Brothers Building in West Baltimore as the perfect setup for Space Phoenix, founded in May.
That’s where the firm plans to design, assemble and show off “Phoenix Hermes Alpha,” a prototype of a reusable spacecraft the size of a dishwasher that can be packed with commercial supplies and launched into low Earth orbit, where most satellites travel. Longer term, the company sees itself filling a gap as an efficient and relatively affordable cog in the logistics of a budding space commercialization market. It’s an area known both for boundless potential and staggering upfront costs.
