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Brings a Wealth of NewSpace Experience
Curt co-founded and was CEO of Spaceflight Inc., the largest provider of integrated launch services for small satellites. He established Spaceflight’s global network of launch providers, which included SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Orbital, JAXA, Arianespace, and NSIL (the commercial arm of the Indian Space Agency).
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Pragmatic Business and Legal Experience
Curt was one of the first attorneys on-site at Microsoft, general counsel at Aldus, and COO at Starwave, giving him a solid combination of practical business experience and an intimate understanding of the legal risks involved in running companies.
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Extensive International Experience
Curt has negotiated numerous launch contracts with companies all over the world, including India, Japan, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Kazakhstan, Israel, Brazil, Luxembourg, Korea, and Canada, among others. Curt also grew up in Thailand, Ethiopia, Jordan, and the U.S.
Curt Blake is Senior Of Counsel in the Seattle office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the corporate practice. Curt is an attorney and senior executive with more than 25 years of experience leading organizations in high-growth industries—and over 10 years as CEO of Spaceflight, Inc.—at the forefront of the NewSpace revolution. He has extensive expertise in strategic planning, financial analysis, legal strategy, M&A, and space commercialization, with deep knowledge about the unique challenges of NewSpace growth and the roadmap to success in the that ecosystem. He has forged relationships with key commercial, civilian, and defense-related customers. Milestones include opening the Indian PSLV to U.S. commercial customers, the first dedicated rideshare Falcon 9 launch vehicle mission deploying a then-record 64 satellites, and launching the first non-governmental mission to the moon (SpaceIL), as well as developing, launching, and orbiting several flavors of Sherpa, the Spaceflight OTV.
Curt has a demonstrated ability to negotiate complex transactions, especially launch transactions, between multiple parties, and between both governments and commercial parties. Curt and the team at Spaceflight developed and grew the commercial rideshare model for smallsats and launched more than 470 satellites on 56 different launches across 10 different launch vehicles. He also worked on the transaction selling Spaceflight to a joint venture between Mitsui, Inc. and Yamasa.
Prior to working in the space industry, Curt served in a variety of senior executive and senior legal roles at software and internet companies, including Microsoft, Aldus, Corbis, and Starwave. Before that, he was an associate at what is now an Am Law 100 firm.
Curt Blake is Senior Of Counsel in the Seattle office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the corporate practice. Curt is an attorney and senior executive with more than 25 years of experience leading organizations in high-growth industries—and over 10 years as CEO of Spaceflight, Inc.—at the forefront of the NewSpace revolution. He has extensive expertise in strategic planning, financial analysis, legal strategy, M&A, and space commercialization, with deep knowledge about the unique challenges of NewSpace growth and the roadmap to success in the that ecosystem. He has forged relationships with key commercial, civilian, and defense-related customers. Milestones include opening the Indian PSLV to U.S. commercial customers, the first dedicated rideshare Falcon 9 launch vehicle mission deploying a then-record 64 satellites, and launching the first non-governmental mission to the moon (SpaceIL), as well as developing, launching, and orbiting several flavors of Sherpa, the Spaceflight OTV.
Curt has a demonstrated ability to negotiate complex transactions, especially launch transactions, between multiple parties, and between both governments and commercial parties. Curt and the team at Spaceflight developed and grew the commercial rideshare model for smallsats and launched more than 470 satellites on 56 different launches across 10 different launch vehicles. He also worked on the transaction selling Spaceflight to a joint venture between Mitsui, Inc. and Yamasa.
Prior to working in the space industry, Curt served in a variety of senior executive and senior legal roles at software and internet companies, including Microsoft, Aldus, Corbis, and Starwave. Before that, he was an associate at what is now an Am Law 100 firm.
- M.B.A., University of Washington Foster School of Business, 1984
- J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 1983
- B.A., University of Washington, 1980
- Board Member, Commercial Spaceflight Federation
- Board Member, Pacific Science Center
- Company of the Year and Breakthrough Technology of the Year, SpaceNews, June 2020 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Most Innovative Space Companies of 2020, Fast Company, March 2020 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Seattle’s Most Influential People, Seattle Magazine, November 2019 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Innovator of the Year, Puget Sound Business Journal, September 2019 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Finalist, Executive of the Year, Via Satellite, May 2019 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- State Bar of Washington
- M.B.A., University of Washington Foster School of Business, 1984
- J.D., University of Washington School of Law, 1983
- B.A., University of Washington, 1980
- Board Member, Commercial Spaceflight Federation
- Board Member, Pacific Science Center
- Company of the Year and Breakthrough Technology of the Year, SpaceNews, June 2020 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Most Innovative Space Companies of 2020, Fast Company, March 2020 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Seattle’s Most Influential People, Seattle Magazine, November 2019 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Innovator of the Year, Puget Sound Business Journal, September 2019 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- Finalist, Executive of the Year, Via Satellite, May 2019 (associated with Spaceflight, Inc.)
- State Bar of Washington
Select Publications
- “A Historic Year for Rideshare,” SatMagazine, November 2018
- “What the Smallsat Industry Needs (A Spaceflight OpEd),” SatMagazine, March 2017
- “New Launch Options for Small Satellite Companies,” SatMagazine, January 2024
- Lead author, “Loaded Question: Examining Loadable Kernel Modules under the General Public License v2,” 7(3) Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts 265, January 2012
Select Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Commercial Perspectives on Cybersecurity Risks in Space,” Space Law, Data and Policy, University of Washington, April 20, 2023
- Panelist, “Issues with Launch Service Mission Management,” Smallsat Symposium, February 2023
- Panelist, “Supply and Demand in Existing and Planned Launch Platforms,” Satellite Innovation, October 11, 2022
- Panelist, “The Role of Commercial Entities and the Path to the Trillion Dollar Economy,” U.S. Department of State, July 26, 2019
- Panelist, “Launch Services Roundtable: NGSO and the New Smallsat Rockets,” Satellite, May 8, 2019
- Panelist, Bangalaru Space Expo, September 6, 2018
- Panelist, “Launch Services Roundtable: New Smallsat Rockets,” Satellite, March 14, 2018
- Panelist, “Adapting the Launch Business Model for NGSOs,” NextSpace, November 15, 2017
Select Publications
- “A Historic Year for Rideshare,” SatMagazine, November 2018
- “What the Smallsat Industry Needs (A Spaceflight OpEd),” SatMagazine, March 2017
- “New Launch Options for Small Satellite Companies,” SatMagazine, January 2024
- Lead author, “Loaded Question: Examining Loadable Kernel Modules under the General Public License v2,” 7(3) Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts 265, January 2012
Select Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Commercial Perspectives on Cybersecurity Risks in Space,” Space Law, Data and Policy, University of Washington, April 20, 2023
- Panelist, “Issues with Launch Service Mission Management,” Smallsat Symposium, February 2023
- Panelist, “Supply and Demand in Existing and Planned Launch Platforms,” Satellite Innovation, October 11, 2022
- Panelist, “The Role of Commercial Entities and the Path to the Trillion Dollar Economy,” U.S. Department of State, July 26, 2019
- Panelist, “Launch Services Roundtable: NGSO and the New Smallsat Rockets,” Satellite, May 8, 2019
- Panelist, Bangalaru Space Expo, September 6, 2018
- Panelist, “Launch Services Roundtable: New Smallsat Rockets,” Satellite, March 14, 2018
- Panelist, “Adapting the Launch Business Model for NGSOs,” NextSpace, November 15, 2017
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