Exclusive: OrbitAID to Launch RPO Demo in 2027
“Most RPO demonstrations to date have qualified a single piece of the sequence, either far-range inspection or close-approach maneuvering, in isolation,” he said. “OrbitAID’s mission is designed to prove the entire satellite life extension in a single flight.” The post Exclusive:
OrbitAID Aerospace is aiming to prove it can gas up satellites in orbit as early as next year.
The Indian company told Payload that it is expecting to conduct a demo life-extension mission in LEO in Q1 2027.
How to save a life: During the demo, two satellites will launch to LEO—a chaser and a target. The mission seeks to prove out each step of the life-extension process for a target spacecraft, including:
- Using sensors on the chaser to inspect and characterize the target sat;
- Approaching and docking with the target spacecraft;
- Transferring fuel to the target sat;
- Raising the target sat to a higher orbit.
This approach makes OrbitAID’s demo different from previous missions, CEO Sakthi Kumar told Payload.
“Most RPO demonstrations to date have qualified a single piece of the sequence, either far-range inspection or close-approach maneuvering, in isolation,” he said. “OrbitAID’s mission is designed to prove the entire satellite life extension in a single flight.”
Gas up and go: OrbitAID is using its proprietary hardware and software for the mission, including the docking interface and program to run autonomous RPO. Because of this reliance on internal tech—and a deep control and knowledge of its supply chain— company officials said OrbitAID was able to go from design of the two sats to launch readiness in just 11 months.
What’s next: The company is expecting hardware and lessons learned from the demo mission in LEO to transfer to GEO, which OrbitAID sees as the bigger market for life extension—and the next mission on its to-do list, according to Kumar.
“After this demonstration, we’re moving directly into a commercial life-extension mission in GEO, with commercial discussions already underway,” he said. “This mission is the proof point that gets us there.”
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Beyond Reach Labs, the Brooklyn, NY startup developing a new way for spacecraft to deploy lengthy solar arrays, unveiled its first commercial-deployment system today—called Flarewing—which is expected to hit the market early next year.
The company, which raised a $10M seed round in July, has been developing a patent-pending solar-array-deployment system designed to fold flat during launch, and maintain its rigidity after deployment—thus allowing spacecraft to carry larger solar arrays.
Goldilocks choice: While much of the Flarewing technology is still under development, Beyond Reach Labs is planning three different sizes to fit a range of customer spacecraft:
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