UK – Orbex, a Forres, UK-based orbital launch services company, has been awarded £3.3m in funding.
The amount was provided by the UK Space Agency as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) “Boost!” initiative. The initiative, which is part of ESA’s Commercial Space Transportation Services and Support programme, is designed to further the development of world-leading space launch technologies. The company will use the funding to undertake activities to build the Ultra-Green Launch Complex at Sutherland Spaceport, located on the north coast of Scotland. The site will see the launch of up to 12 orbital rockets per year, with several commercial launch contracts with satellite manufacturers already secured.Sustainability is also a core driver in the design of the company’s advanced, low-carbon, high-performance micro-launcher, Orbex Prime. Prime is a 19-metre-long rocket designed to launch small satellites into polar and sun-synchronous orbits. It has been carefully engineered to leave zero debris in orbit and is fueled by a renewable form of propane (bio-propane), meaning it has a carbon footprint up to 96% lower than traditional satellite launch vehicles powered by fossil fuels.Led by Martin Coates, CEO, Orbex is a spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing facilities in Denmark. The company is funded by the Scottish National Investment bank, two of the UK’s largest venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as strategic investors Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, and Jacobs, the largest services supplier to NASA. The company has won more than a dozen R&D contracts from a wide variety of bodies, including the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.17/12/2023
