D-Orbit

D-Orbit to deploy 20 Astrocast satellites over three years
Italy’s D-Orbit said Aug. 9 that it would launch 20 nanosatellites over three years for Swiss startup Astrocast with its orbital transfer vehicle.

Kepler books orbital transfer vehicle for next launch
Canada’s Kepler Communications said June 30 it plans to use D-Orbit’s orbital transfer vehicle for the next two satellites in its low-data-rate constellation.

D-Orbit books Isar Aerospace launch for orbital transfer vehicle
Germany’s Isar Aerospace announced plans June 22 to launch an orbital transfer vehicle no earlier than 2023 for Italian space logistics company D-Orbit.

Euroconsult anticipates growing demand for last-mile logistics
Euroconsult forecasts 120 orbital transport vehicles to be in operation by 2031, according to the consulting firm’s latest Space Logistics Markets report.

D-Orbit charts ambitious course for space logistics business
D-Orbit has ambitious plans to offer a wide variety of satellite services from active debris removal to space-based cloud computing.

SpaceX launches Transporter-5 dedicated smallsat rideshare mission
SpaceX launched several dozen payloads on its fifth dedicated rideshare mission May 25, illustrating the continued demand for such missions even as dedicated small launch vehicles emerge.

D-Orbit valued at $1.28 billion in SPAC deal
D-Orbit announced plans Jan. 27 to go public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company in a deal that values the Italian in-space transportation and logistics firm at $1.28 billion.

SpaceX launches third dedicated smallsat rideshare mission
A SpaceX Falcon 9 placed more than 100 smallsats into orbit Jan. 13 as the company accelerates the pace of its dedicated rideshare missions.

Seraphim’s investment trust gets firepower for bigger space deals
Space startup investor Seraphim Capital’s investment trust started trading on the London Stock Exchange July 14, raising about $250 million for larger international acquisitions.

Seraphim Capital unveils world’s first listed space technology fund
Seraphim Capital plans to trade stakes it has amassed in space technology startups on the public market through an investment trust.

D-Orbit unveils third mission for ION Satellite Carrier
D-Orbit plans to transport satellites into six distinct orbits and to host three satellites on the third mission of the Italian firm’s In-Orbit Now (ION) Satellite Carrier.

Noosphere Ventures aims to build an integrated space powerhouse: Q&A with managing partner Max Polyakov
Max Polyakov is on a mission to build out a vertically integrated space business with Noosphere Ventures Partners, his Silicon Valley-based investment vehicle. He tells SpaceNews how COVID-19 has affected these plans, and how a surge in public companies is changing the business environment.

SpaceX launches record-setting cluster of smallsats
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched 143 small satellites for a wide range of customers Jan. 24 on the company's first dedicated rideshare mission, a service that poses a competitive threat to emerging small launch vehicles.

D-Orbit Satellite Carrier delivers Planet SuperDoves to desired orbits
D-Orbit of Italy demonstrated the first commercial last-mile delivery service when it finished a two-month campaign Oct. 28 to drop off 12 Planet SuperDove Earth-imaging satellites.

Arianespace launches Vega on return-to-flight mission with 53 smallsats
European launch provider Arianespace conducted a successful return-to-flight mission of Vega, its light-lift rocket, on Sept. 2, completing the vehicle’s first launch in 14 months.

D-Orbit preps for in-orbit transportation business with upcoming Arianespace and SpaceX launches
Bruno Carvalho, D-Orbit’s vice president of business development, said the company hopes to launch one of its InOrbit Now (ION) propulsive cubesat deployers every two to three months after proving out the system and lining up customers.

Seraphim Capital, Noosphere Ventures invest in D-Orbit
Seraphim Capital and Noosphere Ventures participated in the latest funding round for Italian space company D-Orbit.

D-Orbit consortium radar satellite to monitor infrastructure
A consortium led by Italian space company D-Orbit plans to operate a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite for infrastructure monitoring.

SpaceX cheap rideshare flights change propulsion equation
SpaceX’s plan to slash the cost of space transportation is shaking up the small satellite propulsion market.

D-Orbit to launch 10 Astrocast satellites on Vega rocket
D-Orbit, an Italian company entering the rideshare market, won a deal to launch 10 Astrocast cubesats on a future Vega mission as it develops an advanced, free-flying deployer.