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Curt Blake
Senior Of Counsel
Corporate
Seattle

D206-883-2652

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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).

  • 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.

  • 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.

Experience

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.

Focus Areas
Recent Insights
Bylined Articles
Blake Brief: Is There Space for Foreign-Owned Launch Service Providers with the Federal Government?
In SatMagazine’s latest article, “Is There Space for Foreign-Owned Launch Service Providers with the Federal Government?,” author attorneys Curt Blake and Tim Cox discuss the regulatory challenges foreign launch service providers face when seeking contracts with the U.S. government. The article explains how the Commercial Space Act of 1998 requires launch services to be provided by U.S. commercial providers, which involves strict ownership and operational criteria. It emphasizes that understanding and meeting the requirements, such as the National Space Transportation Policy’s mandate for U.S.-manufactured launch vehicles—despite the unclear definition of “manufacture” complicating compliance for companies with international supply chains—is crucial to remain eligible for federal contracts.
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Bylined Articles
The Blake Brief: AI and Earth Observation: A New Lens on Our Planet
SatMagazine’s latest Blake Brief article, “AI and Earth Observation: A New Lens on Our Planet,” examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing Earth Observation (EO)—the gathering and analysis of data about the Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems—by enhancing data processing capabilities, improving analysis accuracy, and enabling real-time insights.
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Recent Events
Affiliated Programs
SmallSat Europe Panel: Launch Options for Europe’s SmallSat Economy
Wilson Sonsini is proud to sponsor SmallSat Europe 2026, Europe’s premier small satellite event that brings together top business leaders, engineers, and visionaries.
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Speaking Engagements
Satellite Conference Panel: Small and Medium-Lift Launch Services
Wilson Sonsini is proud to participate at Satellite Conference, The largest and most inclusive satellite communications event in the world, uniting commercial innovators, government and military decision-makers, and end-users from 110+​ ​countries.
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