Iris Space, founded in 2023 by Snowbird, is a small launch company ​​​that was mainly operational the first half of 2024. In April the same year, ​development seemed to pause without any official explanation. This changed in January when a teaser titled "Soon" was posted, hinting at a potential revival. In late February, an image of a rocket in development surfaced, followed by a steady stream of progress updates.

​

Iris Space has always aimed to establish itself in the launch market. The company initially focused on developing low-cost, high-efficiency launch vehicles, but its abrupt slowdown in mid-2024 led to speculation about internal challenges. While no formal statements were made regarding the halt, observers attributed the pause to a combination of time constraints and restructuring efforts.

​

The renewed activity in 2025 shows that a revival of the group is underway. Recent development posts show that Iris Space is actively working on a new launch vehicle, though no official details on capabilities or operational plans have been disclosed. The teaser and subsequent updates indicate that the company is not only operational but potentially gearing up for a return flight.

​

RoSpace Now approached Snowbird, the Founder and CEO of Iris Space, this was their response.

"Since resuming operations, the team has made great progress all across the company. Various systems on the Black Ice small-lift rocket are being qualified, such as the propulsion systems, tanks, and FTS. As we prepare for our inaugural orbital launch in the first half of this year, we are already looking further into the future of Iris. Early design concepts are being developed for future evolutions of Black Ice, as well as a for a larger launch system, currently going under the working name of ‘TA’."​

​

For now, everybody is watching closely. While the recent developments are promising, whether Iris Space can sustain this momentum and truly make a comeback remains an open question that will only be answered with time. But we are hoping for the best and wish Iris Space good luck for the future.