Axiom Space plans first private ISS trip
Houston-based Axiom Space last week announced its crew for the first flight of private individuals to the International Space Station. The first launch opportunity will be no earlier than January 2022 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
The proposed Axiom Mission 1 will consist of former NASA astronaut and Axiom Vice President Michael LopezAlegra as commander; American entrepreneur and nonprofit activist investor Larry Connor as pilot; Canadian investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy; and impact investor and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe of Israel.
The proposed mission will include the crew living aboard the U.S. segment of the ISS for approximately eight days, participating in research and philanthropic projects. The three will pay $55 million to participate in the mission.
Spartan to acquire an oil and gas compression firm
Spartan Energy Partners has agreed to acquire a majority of the common units in CSI Compressco from its general partner, Tetra Technologies Inc. Each of the companies is based in The Woodlands. CSI Compressco will continue to be listed on Nasdaq.
The deal is valued at about $14 million, and if certain financial targets are achieved, Tetra will be entitled to a contingent payment from Spartan of $3.1 million. After completion of this transaction, expected to be completed Jan. 29, Tetra will own approximately 11 percent of the outstanding common units in CSI Compressco.
CSI Compressco is a provider of compression services and equipment for natural gas and oil production, gathering, artificial lift, transmission, processing and storage.
Health-tech firm Symplr acquires Dallas company
Symplr, a Houston software-as-a-service platform for the health care industry, has agreed to acquire Phynd Technologies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The combination with Dallas-based Phynd will allow Symplr to enhance its data management offering to enable management of a provider’s profile, location, clinical expertise, health plan and network participation and programs. Symplr offers data management SaaS platform for hospitals, health systems and health plans.
The acquisition of Phynd is Symplr’s eleventh acquisition in the past six years, and its sixth under sponsorship from investors Clearlake Capital and SkyKnight Capital since November 2018.
Steel products distributor plans spiralweld mill
Houston-based JD Fields & Co., a U.S. steel products distributor for oil and gas pipeline and civil infrastructure, announced plans for the JDF/HDM Spiralweld Mill in Sinton, Texas. The state-of-theart facility represents an exclusive material partnership between JD Fields and the integrated Turkish manufacturing company HDM Tubes Ltd.
The mill will provide tubular products for transportation, marine and infrastructure foundation projects as well as other related specialty structural steel when completed in late 2021. Construction will begin in the next few months at the Steel Dynamics Inc. steel production facility in Sinton.