Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. (Voyager), a global leader in space exploration, today celebrates alongside its subsidiary, Altius Space Machines, Inc. (Altius), the successful launch of the company’s 100th DogTag™ universal grapple fixture into space aboard OneWeb’s satellites.
Satellite servicing is a crucial component of future space exploration, enabling streamlined upgrades, repairs and life extension. Being able to conduct routine work while in orbit also has the potential to help mitigate the growing threat of space debris, both by limiting the growth of new and removing existing orbital debris. The DogTag addresses this problem by making it easier to deorbit non-functioning satellites, while they can also be used to tug functional satellites to new orbits, act as an anchor point for satellite servicing, and capture and stow various payloads.
“In a few short months, the Altius team has gone from the first launch of our DogTag to the hundredth,” said Jonathan Goff, CEO and founder of Altius Space Machines. “This is no small achievement, and I can’t help but be excited about the potential impact our DogTags can have on the industry as a whole.”
This is the third of many planned launches for Altius’ DogTags, as the company is slated to produce grapple fixtures for all of OneWeb’s remaining satellites in its planned constellation. Altius’ partnership with OneWeb is part of OneWeb’s larger initiative focused on responsible actions in space. The satellite communications company is committed to “leaving no trace in space” and is partnering with companies like Altius as part of its advocacy efforts for space environmental stewardship to aid in orbital debris management. The satellites are manufactured by Airbus OneWeb Satellites in a state-of-the-art factory located in Merritt Island, Florida.
“It’s always been our hope that our subsidiaries continue to flourish with Voyager’s support, and Altius is a shining example of this becoming realized,” said Matt Kuta, president and CEO, Voyager Space Holdings. “I’m incredibly proud of the Altius team today, and can’t wait to see where their innovation takes us next.”
For more information on Voyager please visit: https://voyagerspaceholdings.com/
About Voyager Space Holdings, Inc.
Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. is a global leader in space exploration. Voyager’s long-term mission is to create a vertically integrated publicly traded NewSpace company capable of delivering any mission humans can conceive. By centralizing shared services functions at the parent company level, Voyager enables engineer founded and led subsidiaries to focus more on development of innovative products and services. The firm’s first in industry model is uniquely tailored to support the growth needs of commercial space companies by offering an alternative solution to traditional private capital models and replaces them with a longer-term approach as a provider of permanent capital. Voyager is led by founders and space industry veterans Dylan Taylor and Matthew Kuta, with a Board of Directors that includes National Security Expert and four-star Air Force General William Shelton, leading investor Gabe Finke, world-leading planetary Scientist, Dr. Alan Stern, noted public company director and former undersecretary of technology Dr. Cheryl Shavers, experienced technology executive, board director, and financial leader, Marian Joh, and former under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, Ellen Lord. To learn more about Voyager Space Holdings, Inc., please visit: http://voyagerspaceholdings.com/
About Altius Space Machines, Inc.
Altius is a space robotics and technology startup with expertise in orbital rendezvous and capture robotics, active debris removal, spacecraft mechanisms, assistive telerobotics, in-space propellant transfer, satellite servicing, and on-orbit assembly and manufacturing. To learn more about Altius Space Machines, Inc., please visit: http://www.altius-space.com/
About OneWeb
OneWeb will enable connectivity for governments, businesses, and communities. It is implementing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites with a network of global gateway stations and range of user terminals to provide an affordable, fast, high-bandwidth and low-latency communications service, connected to the IoT future and a pathway to 5G for everyone, everywhere. Visit www.oneweb.net
About Airbus OneWeb Satellites
Airbus OneWeb Satellites is a joint venture between Airbus and OneWeb that was formed in 2016 to design and manufacture the satellites for the OneWeb constellation. In the process, Airbus OneWeb Satellites has revolutionized satellite manufacturing by being the first to utilize commoditization and mass production techniques to dramatically reduce production times and costs. The company’s mission is not limited to the OneWeb program. Through the partnership with Airbus, Airbus OneWeb Satellites is offering to the market a standardized, mass produced satellite platform and payload interface that can be compatible with many different payloads, providing end-users with dramatic cost savings and opening the door for missions that were previously unthinkable. www.onewebsatellites.com
