Pacifica Launch Services

Pacifica Launch Services flies more surface-to-orbit missions than anyone else on Earth: around 90 a day from three equatorial spaceports. Founded in Osaka in 2112, it carries technicians, tourists, small satellites and urgent parts up to orbital stations.

The company operates 30 Wren Microlifters. The 14-metre Wren carries one pilot, two passengers and 3 tonnes of cargo, and costs just 6.4 million credits, one of the cheapest crewed ships available. It uses methalox and has a short 2 AU range, which suits Pacifica's work: short hops from the ground to low orbit, many times a day.

Eight Kestrel shuttles carry larger groups onward from low orbit to Luna and L5. A single Gravitas Dock Barge assembles and maintains Pacifica's transfer station in low Earth orbit. For Pacifica, the economics are about turnaround. A Wren can land, refuel and launch again in under 90 minutes, and each one flies up to eight sorties a day. At 28 tonnes of methalox per 100 AU equivalent, fuel is the largest running cost, but the short hops keep each flight inexpensive.

Pacifica pilots fly solo, supported by autonomous landing systems developed by Halcyon's autonomy team in Osaka. Passengers often say the hardest part of the trip is the queue at the spaceport.

In 2187 Pacifica flew its millionth crewed Wren sortie. Kenji Watanabe of Halcyon's Osaka sales engineering team manages the account.