Orbital Express Launch Ltd., or Orbex, is a United Kingdom-based[3] aerospace company that is developing a small commercial orbital rocket called Prime. Orbex is headquartered in Forres, Moray, in Scotland and has subsidiaries in Denmark and Germany. Orbex may build its future launch complex, Sutherland spaceport, on the A' Mhòine peninsula in the county of Sutherland, northern Scotland, if and when deemed necessary.[4][5]
 | |
| Company type | Commercial launch services |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Chris Larmour, Kristian von Bengtson |
| Headquarters | , Scotland, United Kingdom[1] |
Key people | Chris Larmour (CEO until 2023)[1] |
| Products | Prime launch vehicle |
Number of employees | 170[2] (2024) |
| Website | orbex |
Overview
editThe company was founded in 2015 as Moonspike Ltd., with the goal of crowdfunding a private spacecraft mission to the Moon.[6] A Kickstarter campaign running from 1 October to 1 November 2015 raised less than £79,000 out of a goal of £600,000, rendering Moonspike ineligible for the funds.[7] Moonspike was renamed Orbital Express Launch Ltd. in 2016, with the company now aiming to provide commercial launch services of nano- and microsatellites, especially CubeSats, to polar and Sun-synchronous low Earth orbits.[8] In July 2018, Orbex secured £30 million in public and private funding for the development of its orbital rocket system, named Prime.[1][9] In October 2022 Orbex closed a £40.4 million Series C funding round.[10][11] Orbex has opened a factory for Prime in Forres, Scotland that employs 150 people.[2] Currently, the company is working on developing the Prime vehicle, while preparing for the initial launch from SaxaVord Spaceport.[4]
Orbex initially intended to share the Sutherland spaceport in northern Scotland with Lockheed Martin, who at the time did not have a launch vehicle, but their strategic shareholding in Rocket Lab led to speculation that they would launch with the Rocket Lab Electron rocket, but since the two vehicles (Electron and Prime) use different propellants, the two companies would have separate launch pads while sharing some common infrastructure. The planning application for the site, however, includes only one launchpad. Lockheed Martin then moved their launch plans to a competing site, SaxaVord Spaceport, in the Shetland Isles.[1][12][13] Orbex also plans to launch from a future spaceport in the Portuguese Azores.[14][15]
In April 2024, it was reported that the company received $20.7 million in a Series D funding round, with the bulk of the funds going towards development of the Prime launch vehicle.[16] In November 2024, Orbex announced that the first launch of Prime would be conducted from SaxaVord Spaceport instead of Sutherland.[4]
Prime
edit Second stage engineering prototype of the Prime orbital rocket | |
| Function | Small payloads to low Earth orbit |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Orbex |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Size | |
| Height | 19 m (62 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)[17] |
| Mass | 18,000 kg (40,000 lb)[15] |
| Stages | 2 [15] |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to SSO (500 km or 310 mi) | |
| Mass | 180 kg (400 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable | Shavit 2, Kaituozhe-1, Unha, Electron, Miura 5 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Under development |
| Launch sites | SaxaVord Spaceport Sutherland spaceport (proposed)[4] Azores spaceport (proposed)[15] |
| First flight | 2025 (planned)[4] |
| First stage | |
| Diameter | 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) |
| Powered by | 6 |
| Propellant | LOX / bioLPG[17] |
| Second stage | |
| Diameter | 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) |
| Powered by | 1 [15] |
| Propellant | LOX / bioLPG [17] |
Orbex is currently developing a light launch vehicle called Prime, and its booster (first stage) is planned to be reusable.[17][18] The rocket's diameter is 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in),[19] and will use a non-toxic bi-propellant consisting of liquid oxygen and propane. One cited advantage of using propane is that it remains liquid at cryogenic temperatures, which enables a design where a central carbon-fibre tank of propane is surrounded by an outer tank of liquid oxygen, creating a light structural mass.[1] First stage reuse is planned to be achieved by a combination of a parachute and four ‘petals’ which will fold out prior to atmospheric reentry to induce drag and passively reorient the vehicle.[20] It will be capable of launching payloads up to 150 kilograms (330 lb) to a standard 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.[1][18]
The maiden flight of Prime is expected to occur in 2025,[2] subject to the availability of SaxaVord Spaceport and a Civil Aviation Authority launch licence,[21] for Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.[2][22] Orbex also announced it was chosen by nanosatellite startup Astrocast to launch their communications satellites.[23]
See also
edit- Skyrora, another British launch service provider
- Rocket Lab, a US and New Zealand based smallsat launch provider
- Black Arrow, a retired British rocket
- PLD Space, another European smallsat launcher based in Spain
- Private spaceflight
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Orbex stakes claim to European smallsat launch market. Jeff Foust, Space News. July 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Dorsey, Kristy (1 May 2024). "New Orbex chief hints at Sutherland launch next year". The Herald. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ wearefathom.com, Fathom-. "Orbex". orbex.space. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ a b c d e Foust, Jeff (5 December 2024). "Orbex halts work on own spaceport, shifts launches to SaxaVord". SpaceNews. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (8 May 2023). "Start of construction paves way for first UK mainland vertical launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Howell, Elizabeth (1 October 2015). "'Moonspike' Kickstarter Project Aims to Crowdfund Rocket to the Moon". Space.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (2 November 2015). "European Moon Venture Regroups After Failed Crowdfunding Bid". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "People In Space: Kristian Von Bengtson, The Man Behind Orbex". Orbital Today. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ Orbex Secures £30 Million Funding for UK Space Launch Vehicles. Orbex. 16 July 2018.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (18 October 2022). "Orbex raises Series C round". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ Parsonson, Andrew (18 October 2022). "Orbex announces £40.4 million Series C funding round". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ site selected as launch base for Lockheed Martin, Orbex. Stephen Clark, Spaceflight Now. 16 July 2018.
- ^ Severin Carrell; Steven Morris; Ian Sample (16 July 2018). "Rocket men: locals divided over plans for UK's first spaceport". The Guardian.
- ^ Jonathan O'Callaghan (21 December 2018). "The Quiet Rocket Startup That Doesn't Want To Be The New SpaceX". Forbes.
- ^ a b c d e Deimos Elecnor Group; Orbex (6 November 2018). AZµL - AZores Micro Launcher (PDF). ESA Micro-Launch Services Workshop. ESA.
- ^ Alamalhodaei, Aria (2024-04-18). "Orbex's new funding may accelerate its Prime microlauncher into orbit". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
- ^ a b c d "Orbex Prime Micro-Launcher". Orbex. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ a b Berger, Eric (16 July 2018). "Britain joins the microlaunch space race with a new rocket and spaceport". Ars Technica. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ "Satellite Launch Vehicle | Orbex Prime Micro-Launcher | Orbex".
- ^ Frizzell, Niamh; Povey, Sian. "Patent secured for 'petal fold' reusable rocket technology". Orbex. Orbital Express Launch Ltd. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (30 May 2022). "UK-launched rocket promises to transform microsatellite launch business". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "World's Leading SmallSat Manufacturer, SSTL, Partners with Orbex for UK Launches". SSTL (Press release). 7 February 2019. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
- ^ Dickie, Mure (7 February 2019). "Rocket company starts countdown on space base in Scotland". Financial Times. Retrieved 8 February 2019.