Portuguese space technology group Omnidea has acquired most of Orbex’s intellectual property and UK assets after the rocket builder collapsed into administration in February. Omnidea plans to develop an evolution of Orbex’s small launch vehicle called PrimeNEO.
Omnidea completed the acquisition of Orbex’s UK manufacturing assets, intellectual property and brand on 30 September. The company told European Spaceflight that it is now adapting the Prime launcher developed by Orbex into a new vehicle, focusing on simplifying the design and improving manufacturability. While the company said it was too early to provide a launch date for the rocket’s inaugural flight, it added that it’s “attentive to market developments.”
“Our goal is to have an available launcher in time to still be relevant in this ever-expanding market.”
According to the company, it is considering launch sites for PrimeNEO in both Scotland and Portugal. A decision on which country will host the vehicle’s inaugural flight will, however, only be made once development is further along.
“Scotland and the Azores are both strategically important possibilities, but the sequence matters: first build the capability, then determine where it creates the greatest value to launch,” the company said.
While the company will not continue development of Proxima, the proposed medium-lift launch vehicle Orbex introduced as part of its bid for ESA’s European Launcher Challenge (ELC), it is in ongoing discussions with the space agencies that backed Orbex’s Prime proposal through subscriptions made at ESA’s 2025 Ministerial Council. The discussions include whether funding previously allocated to support Orbex’s European Launcher Challenge bid could be available to the new company.
Rebuilding the Forres operation
Omnidea submitted its offer in March 2026 as part of a competitive process managed by Orbex’s administrators. Omnidea said the transaction subsequently received the necessary foreign direct investment and export-control approvals from authorities in the United Kingdom and Denmark before closing on 30 September.
The acquisition includes two of the three buildings Orbex previously operated in Forres, Scotland, along with manufacturing equipment, tools, material stocks, processes and intellectual property. Omnidea also acquired data from both Orbex’s UK and Danish operations, as well as the Orbex brand and associated assets.
The Orbex corporate entities themselves were not acquired and remain in administration. The company’s Kinloss test facility and Sutherland Spaceport assets are also being handled through separate transactions.
Omnidea considered acquiring Orbex’s Danish operations, including the Faxe propulsion test site, but ultimately decided against doing so. The company said there was significant overlap between the capabilities in Denmark and Omnidea’s existing propulsion activities. The Forres operation will instead be used to complement those capabilities.
“We intend to design, manufacture and produce out of Scotland,” the company said.
While it declined to disclose the cost of the acquisition, Omnidea said that it has ringfenced more than €10 million to integrate the acquired assets, establish its UK team and build a sustainable operation in Forres.
Omnidea UK will initially be built around the core group of former Orbex employees who remained at the Forres site during the administration process. The company has said it plans to recruit additional employees as its UK operation develops.
