SCOTS space firm Orbex has won a €7.45 million (£6.3m) contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) for an initiative to support commercially sustainable space transportation services in Europe.
The company is based at Forres, on the Moray coast, and said the award will help create a “significant” number of new jobs there. It also has production and testing facilities in Denmark.
This is the largest award so far made to the firm’s commercial space transportation services and support (C-STS) programme. Funds from it will go towards the completion of spaceflight systems in preparation for the first launches of Orbex’s 19-metre “microlauncher” rocket, Prime.
More than €11.2m (£9.5m) of the total will go to work undertaken in the UK, particularly the lightweight avionics designed in-house at Forres, and the guidance, navigation and control (GNC) software subsystem being designed by Elecnor Deimos, a strategic investor and partner.
The remaining €900,000 (£770,000) will support the development of the GNC for the orbital phase being developed by Elecnor Deimos for Orbex in Portugal.
As Orbex prepares for its first UK Pathfinder launch, the company has ramped up its recruitment efforts, most recently hiring a new head of GNC with experience from several European spaceflight programmes.
Orbex has already signed six commercial customers for satellite launches, the first of which is expected next year from its carbon-neutral home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland – on the A’Mhoine peninsula in the far north-west of Scotland – where construction is expected to start later this year.
This is currently the only vertical launch spaceport in the UK to receive planning permission.
Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex, said: “We very much appreciate the investment in new, commercially-focused microlauncher technologies from ESA’s new Boost! Programme. And we’re especially grateful for the strong support we received from the UK Space Agency and the Portuguese Space Agency, PT Space.
“Orbex´s environmentally sustainable microlaunchers will soon be launching for the first time from the UK, and ESA’s recognition of the commercial and scientific opportunities this brings to Europe is significant.”
Uniquely for a commercial rocket, the reusable Prime is fuelled by bio-propane, a clean-burning, renewable fuel which reduces CO2 emissions by 90% compared to kerosene-based fuels, and creates no atmospheric black carbon.
Thilo Kranz, from the ESA, added: “During the evaluation process that preceded this award, we examined Orbex’s service proposal in detail and developed an appreciation for the underlying technical concept as well as the entrepreneurial and commercial approach.
“There is excitement and momentum in European spaceflight, and privately led initiatives, like the one from Orbex, are going to be a critical component of the long-term success of the European space industry.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here