D-Orbit advancing space logistics with Beyond mission

D-Orbit advancing space logistics with Beyond mission
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 05, 2023

On December 1st, D-Orbit, a leader in the realm of space logistics and orbital transportation, achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching its 13th commercial mission, named Beyond. This mission utilized the company's innovative Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), the ION Satellite Carrier, showcasing its versatility and advanced capabilities in the industry.

The launch occurred at 10:19 AM PT from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, employing the trusted Falcon 9 rocket. The ION Satellite Carrier was precisely placed into a 560-km Sun Synchronous Orbit, an orbit known for its benefits in Earth observation missions due to consistent lighting conditions.

Renato Panesi, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of D-Orbit, reflected on the mission's significance and the company's future prospects: "This mission, with its diverse composition, perfectly showcases the flexibility of our ION Satellite Carrier. This has been a remarkably intense year, filled with challenges and as many satisfactions. We are now truly looking forward to 2024, a year that will mark the acquisition of several new milestones, which we are eager to share with the industry at large."

The ION Satellite Carrier's unique capability to individually place satellites into specific orbital slots, as well as hosting various third-party payloads, was demonstrated in this mission. This versatility opens new possibilities for startups, academic institutions, and established enterprises to test and deploy innovative technologies and research experiments in space.

The Beyond mission's diverse payload included notable projects:

ALISIO-1, a 6U CubeSat by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias and IACTEC Space, represents the first Canary Islands satellite for Earth Observation. Equipped with the DRAGO-2 camera and an optical laser communications module, ALISIO-1 aims to be instrumental in natural catastrophe prevention and response. The mission is supported by Deimos Space, D-Orbit's local partner in Spain.

NANO FF A and NANO FF B, two 2U CubeSats from TU Berlin, funded by the German Aerospace Center and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. These satellites aim to achieve a pioneering controlled formation flight in a helix orbit, a significant achievement for CubeSats of their size.

LOGSATS, a 3U CubeSat by Patriot Infovention, launched to establish Thailand's first space-based IoT communications system and an aviation monitoring system, marking a step towards the implementation of a smart city model in the country.

PONO 1, by Privateer, a 2U CubeSat featuring advanced technologies like edge computing, storage, machine learning, and data transmission, intended to provide powerful on-orbit compute capabilities and enhanced asset tracking and prediction.

Z01TM SuperTorquer by Zenno Astronautics, a mission demonstrating the world's first high-temperature superconducting electromagnets in space for autonomous and fuel-free satellite positioning.

RECS, a joint project by D-Orbit and the Space Propulsion Laboratory of the Politecnico di Milano, focusing on understanding the behavior and performance of nitrous oxide as a green propellant for in-orbit refueling.

MI:1, a mission by TRL11 to test a prototype Space Aware Edge Computer in orbit.

AlbaPod 6P, two satellite deployers by Alba Orbital Ltd, designed for deploying 6P PocketQube satellites, highlighting the increasing capabilities and research potential of small-scale space assets.

The mission control team at D-Orbit is currently managing the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP), setting the stage for the operational phase of this mission. This mission underscores D-Orbit's commitment to advancing the frontiers of space logistics and orbital transportation, continuously enhancing the accessibility and possibilities of space exploration and utilization.