Tina and Tom Sjögren have spent their lives getting to places that are hard to reach. They have summited Everest and skied to both poles, collecting four Guinness World Records along the way [Wikipedia]. Now, from a workshop in Bishop, California, they are aiming for a destination that makes the poles look like a weekend trip. Their company, Pythom Space, is building rockets to get there.
The goal is Mars, but the business starts in low Earth orbit. Pythom is developing a family of small, reusable launch vehicles named Birka and Eiger, designed to carry 150-kilogram payloads to sun-synchronous orbit for a dedicated launch cost projected at $1 million [Pythom Space]. The core bet is a unified, in-house propulsion system they call 'Black Magic,' engineered to power everything from the initial Earth launch to a Mars landing and the return trip [Pythom Space]. It is an architect's approach to spaceflight: one engine, many missions.
From polar ice to rocket ice
The founders' background is unconventional for aerospace. Tina and Tom Sjögren are professional explorers and software engineers, not career rocket scientists [Wikipedia, CB Insights]. This outsider perspective manifests in Pythom's design philosophy, which prioritizes radical simplicity and field logistics. Their Eiger rocket is built from what they describe as 'paper-thin aluminum' for its large tanks, a choice aimed at minimizing mass and cost [PitchBook]. The company also practices what it preaches on infrastructure, having established a 'microfactory' dubbed Nacka Space Beach near Stockholm to demonstrate low-footprint, rapid manufacturing [Pythom Space, March 2025]. The mindset is less NASA and more expedition base camp: build light, move fast, and be self-reliant.
The wedge is a single tank of fuel
Pythom's technical ambition is to collapse the traditional stack of specialized spacecraft. Instead of separate engines for launch, landing, and deep-space transit, the company is developing one adaptable propulsion system.
- Engine commonality. The 'Black Magic' engine is designed to run at twice the chamber pressure of typical smallsat rockets, a claim that, if proven, could translate to higher performance or simpler design [Pythom Space]. The same fundamental engine, with different nozzles, is meant to work in the atmosphere and in the vacuum of space.
- Vehicle reuse. Both the Birka and Eiger rockets are designed to be 100% reusable, a critical lever for hitting the $1 million launch price target [Pythom Space]. Reusability is non-negotiable for the economics of frequent, responsive launch.
- The full stack vision. The initial rockets are just the first step. The roadmap includes the Olympus lunar and Mars lander and the Pythom Spaceship for interplanetary travel, all theoretically sharing the same propulsion lineage [Pythom Space].
The company has moved from experimental tests to a manufacturing phase for its propulsion system, and reported a successful 'micro-jump' test of its Eiger rocket [Pythom Space, Warp News].
Why Saab wrote the check
In November 2025, Pythom's ambition secured a significant validator: a $10 million strategic investment from Swedish aerospace and defense giant Saab [TCT Magazine, November 2025]. This round brought the company's total disclosed funding to approximately $10.5 million, following an earlier $500,000 seed round [CB Insights, Pythom Space, March 2020]. The Saab investment is more than capital; it is an industrial partnership. Saab's expertise in rigorous engineering, supply chains, and working with national security clients provides a credibility ramp that a startup of polar explorers would struggle to build alone.
| Investor | Round | Amount | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space Cowboys et al. | Seed | $500,000 | March 2020 [Pythom Space] |
| Saab | Later Stage VC | $10,000,000 | November 2025 [TCT Magazine] |
The funding positions Pythom to transition from proving its propulsion to building flight-ready vehicles. The company is already assembling its first space stage in California and has the Birka rocket on display at its Swedish facility [Pythom Space, April 2025].
The gravity of the business
The commercial small launch market is notoriously crowded and has proven fatal for many well-funded startups. Pythom's list of competitors is long, spanning from established players like Astra and Rocket Lab to a global field of aspirants like Skyroot, Agnikul, and LandSpace. Success requires not just a rocket that works, but one that works reliably, frequently, and cheaply enough to capture customer manifests. Publicly named launch contracts are not yet part of Pythom's story, placing them in a pre-revenue development race against dozens of others.
The founders' exploratory grit is an asset for the marathon of hardware development, but it does not replace the need for deep aerospace engineering and operational experience. The Saab partnership directly addresses this, implying that Pythom's team is being bolstered by the kind of institutional knowledge that turns prototypes into certified flight systems.
The next twelve months
The immediate milestones are clear. Pythom must progress from static fires and micro-jumps to a full orbital launch attempt for its Eiger rocket. Securing a first paying customer, likely a small satellite operator or a research institution needing in-space manufacturing payloads, will be the definitive traction signal [PitchBook]. The expansion of its microfactory model, and any further details on the Olympus lander program, will show if the company can execute on its full-stack vision while nailing the basics of launch.
Financially, the $10 million from Saab is substantial for a seed-stage hardware company, but building and flying rockets is a capital-intensive endeavor. The path likely points toward a larger Series A in the next 18-24 months, especially if a launch milestone is achieved.
On paper, the unit economics hinge on that $1 million launch price for 150 kg to orbit. That works out to roughly $6,670 per kilogram. For comparison, SpaceX's Falcon 9 is reported to offer prices below $2,000 per kilogram for large payloads, but that requires buying a whole ride-share mission. Pythom's bet is that a dedicated, responsive launch for a small satellite will command a premium, and that reusability will make the math work at their scale. The incumbent they must ultimately beat on cost and convenience isn't SpaceX for bulk freight; it's the crowded field of other small launch providers fighting for the same niche. Their expedition to Mars will be measured first in successful deliveries to Earth orbit.
Sources
- [Wikipedia] Pythom | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythom
- [Pythom Space] Company Website & Updates | https://www.pythomspace.com/
- [PitchBook] Pythom Space Company Profile | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/493476-40
- [CB Insights] Pythom Space Funding Summary | https://www.cbinsights.com/company/pythom-space
- [TCT Magazine, November 2025] Saab invests $10m in Pythom Space | https://www.tctmagazine.com/saab-invests-10m-in-pythom-space-to-support-development-of-rapidly-deployable-rockets/
- [Warp News] Pythom Space tests Eiger rocket | https://www.warpnews.org/
- [The Defense Post, November 2025] Pythom progresses Birka rocket at Nacka Space Beach | https://www.thedefensepost.com/
- [GKN Powder Metallurgy] How 3D printing rocketed Pythom's position | https://blog.gknpm.com/how-pythom-space-is-pushing-the-space-industry-forward-powered-by-metal-3d-printing