D-Orbit collaborates with Spaceflight Inc. to accommodate VZLU payload onboard ION in last-minute operation
Fino Mornasco, Italy January 5, 2022: Space logistics company D-Orbit succeeded in a last-minute integration of an additional satellite on the ION Satellite Carrier to be launched on the upcoming Transporter-3 mission after Spaceflight’s orbital transfer vehicle had to disembark from Falcon 9 due to a leak coming from the propulsion system.
D-Orbit and US launch provider Spaceflight promptly teamed up to accommodate VZLUSat-2, a 3U CubeSat of the Czech Aerospace Research Centre (VZLU) in partnership with Spacemanic, onboard ION.
The D-Orbit team who was at Cape Canaveral for the integration of ION on Falcon 9 had to work with a very stringent deadline but was nonetheless able to successfully integrate the new payload onboard ION without any disruption to the ongoing activities.
“We are happy to have joined forces with Spaceflight to accommodate VZLUSat-2 on ION; this kind of collaborations truly embody the spirit of the New Space industry and thanks to all the parties involved, everything went smoothly. We are also very proud of our young and exceptionally skilled team; they have handled the situation timely and flawlessly,”
commented Pietro Guerrieri, the company’s Head of Strategy and Innovation at D-Orbit.
VZLUSat-2 will fly onboard ION SCV004, the fourth spacecraft of the ION fleet to be launched in orbit since September 2020. The launch is scheduled for January 2022.
About D-Orbit
D-Orbit is a market leader in the space logistics and transportation services industry with a track record of space-proven technologies and successful missions. Founded in 2011, before the dawn of the New Space market, 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[1]party payloads like innovative technologies developed by startups, experiments from research entities, and instruments from traditional space companies requiring a test in orbit. D-Orbit is a space infrastructure pioneer with offices in Italy, Portugal, UK, and the US; its commitment to pursuing business models that are profitable, friendly for the environment, and socially beneficial, led to D-Orbit becoming the first certified B-Corp space company in the world.
Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.