UK-based rocket builder Orbex announced on 3 February that it has signed a two-launch deal with Italian in-orbit logistics provider D-Orbit. The deal includes capacity aboard two Prime launches over the next three years.
Orbex is currently working toward an inaugural flight of its two-stage Prime rocket, scheduled to take place before the end of 2025. Prime is designed to deliver payloads of up to 180 kilograms to low Earth orbit.
The Orbex press release did not include the proposed payload that D-Orbit would be launching aboard the two Prime rockets. The company has also not made any announcement about the deal that could have provided additional details. However, just last week, the company was selected as a rideshare provider for the European Commission’s In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) programme.
The European Commission, in conjunction with ESA, launched the IOD/IOV initiative in September 2020. The goal of the initiative is to enable academia, research organisations, SMEs, and larger industrial companies to validate new technologies in orbit, thus reducing the time it would otherwise take to bring these technologies to market. It is hoped that the initiative will serve as a catalyst for future European-made space technology.
As a rideshare provider, the company will be able to participate in bidding for the accommodation, launch, and operation of IOD/IOV experiments. The IOD/IOV experiments that secure spots aboard these flights are selected regularly, with the next selection deadline in March 2025.
Currently, the bulk of D-Orbit rideshare flights are launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter missions. However, the IOD/IOV initiative may very well have a stipulation that preference should be given to European launch providers. With Ariane 6 and Vega C flights booked out for several years, looking at new European launch companies entering the market may be their only option.
A result of the government’s £20 million investment?
Orbex recently announced that the UK government had made a £20 million investment that would aid the company in completing the inaugural flight of Prime. With the D-Orbit launch deal announcement following less than a week later, it’s worth considering if the government’s support helped seal the deal. Is this a clear indication of how important strong institutional backing is for the growth of privately developed launch systems in Europe?
“This agreement between Orbex and D-Orbit demonstrates the growing commercial interest in UK launch, as we count down to the first rockets lifting off from SaxaVord spaceport,” said UK director of launch Matt Archer. “The UK Space Agency will continue to support Orbex as it moves towards its first launch, strengthening our position as a leading European destination for sustainable spaceflight – creating jobs, growth and innovation across the space sector in the process.”
