Additional SpaceX Launch Ports Secured by D-Orbit
Eleven additional SpaceX launch ports have been secured for D-Orbit's ION Satellite Carrier (ION) for launch on rideshare missions in 2023.
"D-Orbit is on track to meet our mission targets for the next two years and we are securing these additional (launch ports) with SpaceX to ensure we can meet the growing demand for our launch and deployment services."
Renato Panesi, D-Orbit chief commercial officer.
Securing these slots is in line with D-Orbit's plans to launch 13 IONs in 2023, as the company works to meet the increasing demand for last-mile space transportation solutions and in-orbit demonstration of third-party payloads. The launches have been purchased through the Italian launch broker impulso.space.
"With its ION Satellite Carrier technology, a record of successful missions and expanding capabilities, D-Orbit has established itself as a reliable partner for the complex mission requirements of the space industry," said Renato Panesi, D-Orbit chief commercial officer. "D-Orbit is on track to meet our mission targets for the next two years and we are securing these additional (launch ports) with SpaceX to ensure we can meet the growing demand for our launch and deployment services. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the team at SpaceX as we build the sustainable infrastructure to fuel the new space economy."
ION is an orbital transfer vehicle able to ferry a batch of smaller satellites across orbits and deploy them individually into custom orbital slots. The vehicle is also able to host multiple proprietary and third-party payloads that can be operated for months after the end of the deployment phase of the mission.
D-Orbit has already successfully launched six ION Satellite Carriers since September 2020 and three additional launches are scheduled for the remainder of 2022. With 13 flights scheduled for 2023, the fleet will soon reach 22 spacecraft in orbit, which will allow the Company to offer new and valuable services to their customers, including in-orbit data storage and computing capabilities that will leverage proprietary payloads hosted inside the future generations of ION spacecraft.
(Source: D-Orbit news release. Image from Facebook)