D-Orbit, the orbital transportation, and space logistics company has reportedly inked a launch agreement with German aerospace company Isar Aerospace.
Under the contract, D-Orbit will launch ION (ION Satellite Carrier), its cost-effective and versatile OTV (orbital transfer vehicle) designed to perform in-orbit tech demonstrations of third-party payloads and precisely deploy satellites, aboard the Spectrum launch vehicle of Isar Aerospace.
This launch agreement will enable D-Orbit to launch a schedule to cater to the growing demand for in-orbit exhibitions of third-party payloads and last-mile solutions for space transportation.
Monica Valli, VP of Operations at D-Orbit has remarked that the ION Satellite Carrier-Spectrum combination allows different mission profiles, enabling the expansion of transportation services and effectively serving the thriving space logistics market.
Isar Aerospace builds and develops launch vehicles for transporting medium and small-sized satellites along with orbital satellite constellations. It is currently focused on the development of a two-stage launch vehicle Spectrum with a low Earth orbit payload capacity of 1,000 kg.
Since September 2020, D-Orbit has successfully lifted off six ION Satellite Carriers, with three launches slated for the remainder of 2022. With over 13 flights scheduled for next year, the fleet will soon have 22 in-orbit spacecraft which enables D-Orbit to provide valuable customer services, including in-orbit computing and data storage capabilities.
For the unversed, D-Orbit has a successful track record of space-proven technologies. Founded in 2011, it is the first company to acknowledge the logistics requirement of the space market.
For instance, ION Satellite Carrier can launch satellites in orbit and release them separately into unique orbital slots, limiting the launch to operation time by 85% and the launch costs of a satellite constellation by 40%.
D-Orbit entered a business combination deal with Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp. in January this year. The deal is anticipated to close by the third quarter of this year.
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