Space logistics and transportation company D-Orbit announced the signing of a launch contract with AAC SpaceQuest, the US subsidiary of AAC Clyde Space.
SpaceQuest is a well-established satellite manufacturer and operator specialized in small satellite technologies and space data services.
The agreement covers the launch and deployment of an initial two (2) satellites, based on SpaceQuest’s newest generation of maritime satellite design, with an option for an additional two (2) spacecraft. The satellites, called respectively Sedna 1, 2 will scale the company’s satellite automatic identification system (“S-AIS”) space infrastructure and validate new, key maritime space-data technologies.
The launch and deployment mission will leverage ION Satellite Carrier, D-Orbit’s orbital transfer vehicle, which has carried out six commercial missions since 2020. ION is a multi-purpose vehicle whose mission profiles include transporting satellites across orbits to deploy them into custom operational slots, operations on hosted payloads, and pay-per-use in-orbit cloud storage and edge computing in space.
“We are thrilled to partner with AAC SpaceQuest to test an innovative satellite application like S-AIS,” said Renato Panesi, D-Orbit’s chief commercial officer (CCO) of D-Orbit. “With this first launch we are laying the foundations of what we hope is going to be a long and mutually rewarding collaboration.”
“We are very pleased to develop our relationship with D-Orbit as a trusted partner in this key phase of expansion for our satellite data services business and look forward to our continued partnership on subsequent launches for our new SednaSats,” said Chris Fauquier, CEO of AAC SpaceQuest.
The target launch for the first two satellites is Q4 of 2023; the remaining will be launched during the first semester of 2024.
About D-Orbit
D-Orbit is a market leader in the space logistics and transportation services industry with a track record of space-proven services, technologies, and successful missions.
Founded in 2011, D-Orbit is the first company addressing the logistics needs of the space market. ION Satellite Carrier, for example, is a space vehicle that can transport satellites in orbit and release them individually into distinct orbital slots, reducing the time from launch to operations by up to 85% and the launch costs of an entire satellite constellation by up to 40%. ION can also accommodate multiple third-party payloads like innovative technologies developed by startups, experiments from research entities, and instruments from traditional space companies requiring a test in orbit. The whole, fully redundant ION can be rented for edge computing applications and space cloud services to provide satellite operators with storage capacity and advanced computing capabilities in orbit.
D-Orbit’s roadmap includes becoming a relevant player in the in-orbit servicing market, which is forecasted to become one of the largest, growing markets within the space sector.
D-Orbit has offices in Italy, Portugal, the UK, and the US; its commitment to pursuing business models that are profitable, friendly for the environment, and socially beneficial, led
D-Orbit S.p.A. to become the first certified B-Corp space company in the world.
Contacts
Elena Sanfilippo Ceraso – Media Manager
comms@dorbit.space
Patrizia Tammaro Silva – Investor Relations
patrizia.tammaro@dorbit.space
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