Key Takeaways
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Symphony Space’s Project Rhapsody: Aims to make orbital content creation accessible to brands, artists, and institutions—not just astronauts and governments.
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Cost-effective Solution: Its autonomous station and robotics allow companies to capture authentic, space-shot product media quickly and at a fraction of crewed mission costs.
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Sustainable Future: For co-founders Merry Walker and Nicolas Maubert, this studio represents the first step toward creating a more sustainable, commercial, and culturally open frontier in space.
Since time immemorial, space has symbolized the ultimate frontier. In today’s landscape, it’s typically reserved for astronauts, billionaires, and government initiatives. However, these boundaries are beginning to dissolve. Picture your product in orbit, gliding against Earth’s backdrop or framed by a celestial event.
We’re not delving into AI or CGI; we’re discussing authentic media produced in the galaxy’s inaugural creative studio.
Project Rhapsody: The First Orbital Creative Studio
Merry Walker and Nicolas Maubert of Symphony Space have inaugurated Project Rhapsody, a groundbreaking service that allows companies to send products into orbit and capture high-quality photo and video content without the need for astronauts. Imagine a sneaker floating inside the station or filmed with Earth as a stunning backdrop.
The Adagio-Mini Station
Project Rhapsody will operate from Adagio-Mini, an autonomous space station set to launch in the latter half of 2028. With a capacity for up to 12 projects at once, this facility offers brands, artists, and cultural institutions a unique space to create in microgravity.
Though space’s scientific potential is vast, Walker and Maubert emphasize that the space economy cannot flourish if access remains limited to governments and academia.
Democratizing Space Access
Historically, sending a product to space required alignment with the crewed International Space Station, a costly endeavor demanding extensive astronaut training. Walker and Maubert sought to simplify this process.
With Project Rhapsody, companies can present their concepts or products, and Symphony manages everything from mission planning to capturing work in orbit and returning media.
Collaborative Efforts with ORBES
Through collaboration with ORBES, a space robotics company, the Exo-ORB satellite will capture stunning footage of client products, both inside and outside the station. This opens a world of creative possibilities, limited only by a brand’s imagination.
After capturing the content, companies have the option to retrieve their products from Earth or leave them in orbit for ongoing experiments.
Cost-Efficient and Timely
Unlike previous commercial missions requiring astronauts to oversee operations, this fully autonomous project integrates AI and robotics, making it significantly cheaper—four to ten times less than crewed alternatives. The timeline for completing a mission is also drastically reduced, inviting faster opportunities for brands.
Conclusion
Merry Walker, a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, brings her diplomatic experience to the table, carefully navigating international regulations and policies surrounding space. With Project Rhapsody, Walker and Maubert aspire to democratize space, making it accessible to all, and turning it into a viable platform for innovation and creativity.
The vast future of space as part of our economy beckons new ideas, ventures, and collaborations. Interested parties are welcome to join in this transformative journey, underscoring that space belongs to everyone.
