D-Orbit signs agreement with HyImpulse Technologies for joint EU-based launch and deployment mission
Fino Mornasco, Italy, Sept. 1, 2021 – Space logistics and transportation company D-Orbit announced the signing of an agreement with HyImpulse Technologies aiming at a joint launch and deployment mission that will leverage HyImpulse’s SL1 launcher and D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier.
SL1 is a three-stage hybrid rocket designed to transport to LEO satellites of up to 500 kg. ION Satellite Carrier (ION) is D-Orbit’s proprietary orbital transportation vehicle designed to ferry a batch of satellites across orbits and release each satellite into a customized orbital slot, while at the same time operating multiple hosted payloads during a single mission. This partnership will offer, for the first time, a combination of a launcher and orbital transportation vehicle that maximizes the mass of SL1’s payload to sun-synchronous orbit, and leverages ION Satellite Carrier to deploy satellites into orbits with distinct values of parameters like altitude, inclination, and local time of the ascending node (LTAN).
The scope of the contract includes a study of a late payload integration that will enable third parties to board the launch vehicle as late as possible for use cases like preserving pharmaceutical and biological payloads, apply last-minute changes to the manifest, and replace payloads that are suffering development delay with others that are ready-for-fly.
“This contract marks the beginning of an alliance that will provide the first all-European rideshare launch service that enables smaller satellite operators to reach orbits previously out of reach for this category of spacecraft,” said Matteo Bartolini, D-Orbit’s Launch Manager. “By partnering with the launcher at mission design level, we can optimize the mass and other mission resources, significantly pushing the envelope of what we can do in terms of in-orbit transportation. This first partnership represents a major step in that direction, and we are proud of the fact that the entire operation will be done here in Europe with European resources.”
“We are excited to work together with D-Orbit and explore opportunities for future joint missions. By using our Small Launcher SL1 and D-Orbit’s ION Satellite Carrier, we are confident to satisfy all requirements of our customers. D-Orbit and HyImpulse both are great examples of innovative European NewSpace companies and together we offer new and disruptive solutions to the growing market,” said Dr. Mario Kobald, CEO of HyImpulse.
The joint mission is targeted to launch in 2025.
About D-Orbit
D-Orbit is a market leader in the space logistics and transportation services industry with a track record of space-proven technologies and successful missions.
Founded in 2011, before the dawn of the New Space market, D-Orbit is the first company addressing the logistics needs of the space market. ION Satellite Carrier, for example, is a space vehicle that can transport satellites in orbit and release them individually into distinct orbital slots, reducing the time from launch to operations by up to 85% and the launch costs of an entire satellite constellation by up to 40%. ION can also accommodate multiple third-party payloads like innovative technologies developed by startups, experiments from research entities, and instruments from traditional space companies requiring a test in orbit.
D-Orbit is a space infrastructure pioneer with offices in Italy, Portugal, UK, and the US; its commitment to pursuing business models that are profitable, friendly for the environment, and socially beneficial, led to D-Orbit becoming the first certified B-Corp space company in the world.
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