The contract covers the launch and deployment of two CubeSats by NPC Spacemind and the orbital validation of two CubeSat dispensers by the same company, in view of possible use by D-Orbit on future missions.
Fino Mornasco, Italy, November 10, 2022: The space transportation and logistics company D-Orbit has announced the signing of a framework contract with NPC SPACEMIND, an Italian space company specializing in smaller satellite hardware, complete platforms, and end-to-end mission services.
The contract covers the launch and deployment of FUTURA-SM1 and FUTURA-SM3, a 3U and a 6U CubeSats respectively, which will be integrated into NPC Spacemind’s proprietary CubeSat dispensers. The dispensers will be installed inside ION Satellite Carrier, a versatile orbital transfer vehicle designed, manufactured, and operated by D-Orbit, for in-orbit validation.
“We are thrilled to join forces with NPC Spacemind for a wholly Italian partnership,” said Renato Panesi, D-Orbit’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Spacemind’s excellence in manufacturing space structures will further improve our ability to provide custom dispensers to fit even the most unusual mission configurations.”
After successful validation, D-Orbit will offer NPC Spacemind’s dispenser as an additional option to customize ION’s flight configuration and further broaden the company’s launch options.
“It is a privilege to work with D-Orbit, reference point of the space logistics and orbital transportation services, with which we share the attention for space environmental sustainability since the early beginnings”, said Niccolò Bellini, NPC Spacemind’s Production and Program Manager. “We are excited about this cooperation by virtue of enhancing the supply chain of the Italian space economy.”
ION Satellite Carrier is a multi-purpose vehicle capable of carrying out within a single mission satellite transportation, payload hosting, and advanced in-orbit edge computing services.
NPC Spacemind’s satellites are scheduled for flight in Q4 2022 onboard ION SCV008.
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.
About NPC SPACEMIND
NPC SPACEMIND, a leader in the productions of CubeSat platforms, operates in the New Space Economy, focusing on flexibility and short lead time, providing solutions tailored to user payload requirements.
Thanks to the time spent as a forefront in several satellite missions we developed a portfolio of reliable subsystems based on hands-on experience.
The most recent and relevant add on to our product lineup is undeniably the SMPOD, a High performance Deployer that comes in 3U,12U,16U suitable for all CubeSat configurations.
NPC SPACEMIND is also being committed to the space debris problem, designing and manufacturing deorbiting systems, and working everyday for a more sustainable space.
Contacts
Elena Sanfilippo Ceraso – Head of Media and Public Relations
comms@dorbit.space
Patrizia Tammaro Silva – Investor Relations
Patrizia.tammaro@dorbit.space
