{"id":23835,"date":"2025-04-15T20:32:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T12:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/d-orbit-sets-course-to-expand-beyond-space-transportation-services\/"},"modified":"2025-04-15T20:32:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T12:32:32","slug":"d-orbit-sets-course-to-expand-beyond-space-transportation-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/d-orbit-sets-course-to-expand-beyond-space-transportation-services\/","title":{"rendered":"D-Orbit sets course to expand beyond space transportation services"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Italian company D-Orbit has been launching customer payloads aboard its Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) for the past five years. In that time, the company has positioned itself as a reliable space transportation provider and hosting platform.<\/p>\n<p>The company now plans to extend into on-orbit servicing and refueling missions, end-of-mission disposal, and cross-orbit transportation, including to lunar orbits. NSF spoke with the company\u2019s VP of Business Development, Stefano Antonetti, about D-Orbit\u2019s plans to expand from movers to maintainers as it continues to build Europe\u2019s future in space.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are starting to see space as an extension of their reach, something they can actually access,\u201d says Antonetti, \u201cand, as a space enthusiast, this is something that I\u2019m really proud to contribute to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The team has flown 17 missions since its inaugural launch in September 2020, delivering more than 180 payloads for customers. D-Orbit missions have flown aboard each of SpaceX\u2019s Transporter missions to date. Two separate D-Orbit missions, <em>Ascend<\/em> and <em>Endless Sky<\/em> were lofted together on the Transporter 12 mission, while January 2023\u2019s <em>Starfield<\/em> mission hitched a ride on the Starlink Group 2-6 launch.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106064\" class=\"wp-image-106064 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vega-launches-D-Orbits-first-Origin-mission-in-September-2020-Credit-ESA.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"849\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vega-launches-D-Orbits-first-Origin-mission-in-September-2020-Credit-ESA.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vega-launches-D-Orbits-first-Origin-mission-in-September-2020-Credit-ESA-350x206.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vega-launches-D-Orbits-first-Origin-mission-in-September-2020-Credit-ESA-594x350.jpg 594w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vega-launches-D-Orbits-first-Origin-mission-in-September-2020-Credit-ESA-768x453.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Vega-launches-D-Orbits-first-Origin-mission-in-September-2020-Credit-ESA-1170x690.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106064\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vega launches D-Orbit\u2019s first \u2018Origin\u2019 mission in September 2020 (Credit: ESA)<\/p>\n<p>The company has predominantly flown aboard Falcon 9 vehicles, starting with its second mission, <em>Pulse<\/em>, in January 2021 aboard Transporter 1. D-Orbit made its 2020 debut atop a Vega, launching from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou \u2014 this was the rocket\u2019s successful return to flight after a failure the previous summer.<\/p>\n<p>Founded in 2011, the company is 14 years old and has offices in Italy, Portugal, and the UK, while a new US team will focus on bus design and manufacturing. A champion of conducting environment-friendly business, D-Orbit also has the accolade of being the first space company in the world to be certified B-Corp.<\/p>\n<p>D-Orbit describes itself as a space logistics company, and the initial business model was one of debris mitigation, hence the company name. The initial product was dubbed the Deorbit Kit and included a propulsive module with its own control unit that could be added to a customer\u2019s satellite or spacecraft. This independent device would monitor the host craft\u2019s orbit and then activate when the craft either reached its planned end of life or in the event of a failure, such as it becoming unresponsive. Performing a propulsive decommissioning maneuver, the kit would safely deorbit the craft, thus mitigating orbital debris.<\/p>\n<p>Space Shuttle models<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Aerospace industry analysis<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>SpaceX<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Building and Launching Spacecraft - D-Orbit - NSF Live: Europe's Future in Space\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gFd9R238Oss?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>D-Orbit led a consortium including ArianeGroup, Airbus, and others to develop a solution with funding from the European Space Agency\u2019s (ESA) Space Safety Programme. A validation mission was launched aboard a Vega rocket\u2019s Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (VESPA), which would usually remain in orbit. The kit successfully performed a controlled propulsive re-entry maneuver following payload deployment.<\/p>\n<p>The market, however, was not as reactive to the product as D-Orbit had expected. \u201cAlthough it\u2019s an urgency, it\u2019s still not a big market,\u201d Antonetti explains. The company pivoted, looking to the wider field of space transportation and logistics \u2014 such as last-mile transportation in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and in-orbit servicing. \u201cAnything that can help anyone to succeed in space,\u201d he continues. \u201cThere will be many businesses starting to happen in space, and the best way to leverage this expansion of the space economy is to provide them [with] services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ion spacecraft<\/p>\n<p>Key to delivering these services is the company\u2019s Ion spacecraft \u2013 a form of OTV also known as a space tug. Three of these craft have already de-orbited, leaving 14 still currently in space. \u201cWe have a lot of fuel and we carefully plan our re-entry,\u201d Antonetti notes. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to generate additional waste in space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106065\" class=\"wp-image-106065 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2554\" height=\"1210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit.png 2554w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit-350x166.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit-630x298.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit-768x364.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit-1920x910.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-the-Ion-spacecraft-deploying-a-payload-Credit-D-Orbit-1170x554.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2554px) 100vw, 2554px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106065\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rendering of the Ion spacecraft deploying a payload (Credit: D-Orbit)<\/p>\n<p>The company identified a niche in the last-mile aspect of the emerging space transportation market. \u201cSpaceX was coming and there were starting to be a lot of rideshare launches, so we knew there would be a lot of low-cost launches but in very specific places in outer space,\u201d says Antonetti.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose satellites, especially CubeSats, would have needed a lot of propulsion to go where they needed to go. For instance, SpaceX launches go [to] SSO around 500 kilometers but some customers need to go a little bit below or a little bit higher. We can put them on different altitudes, usually plus or minus 150 kilometers \u2014 it\u2019s not much but we can go much farther. We can go up to 1,200 kilometers.\u201d The two key maneuvers that operators frequently request are a change of altitude, or the true anomaly \u2014 an angular parameter describing where an object is along its orbital path.<\/p>\n<p>The Ion carrier is already on its second generation and the company is developing the third, which will be capable of a wider range of orbits and will be almost twice the size of the current model. The carrier is powered by chemical, rather than electric ion propulsion, despite the name, which is an acronym for \u201cIn Orbit Now.\u201d&nbsp; It will, however, carry two of Magdrive\u2019s Rogue electric propulsion systems for an in-orbit demonstration mission this June. The thruster employs a solid metal propellant, which is ionized into plasma using internally stored energy, delivering high thrust and specific impulse.<\/p>\n<p>D-Orbit\u2019s hosted payload service accounts for roughly half of its revenue and provides hardware developers with a plug-and-play platform to get their payloads into orbit for testing or verification. Ion handles resources such as power, data uplinking, and downlinking, with standardized data, electrical, and mechanical interfaces. Already launching multiple times per year, the company can offer its customers flexible transportation options into Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO) and geostationary orbits (GEO) as well as to LEO.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106075\" class=\"wp-image-106075 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ion-SCV-001-Laurentius-prepares-to-launch-to-space-aboard-Transporter-1-in-January-2021-Credit-D-Orbit.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1198\" height=\"1012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ion-SCV-001-Laurentius-prepares-to-launch-to-space-aboard-Transporter-1-in-January-2021-Credit-D-Orbit.jpeg 1198w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ion-SCV-001-Laurentius-prepares-to-launch-to-space-aboard-Transporter-1-in-January-2021-Credit-D-Orbit-350x296.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ion-SCV-001-Laurentius-prepares-to-launch-to-space-aboard-Transporter-1-in-January-2021-Credit-D-Orbit-414x350.jpeg 414w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ion-SCV-001-Laurentius-prepares-to-launch-to-space-aboard-Transporter-1-in-January-2021-Credit-D-Orbit-768x649.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ion-SCV-001-Laurentius-prepares-to-launch-to-space-aboard-Transporter-1-in-January-2021-Credit-D-Orbit-1170x988.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1198px) 100vw, 1198px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106075\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ion SCV-001 Laurentius prepares to launch to space aboard Transporter 1 in January 2021 (Credit: D-Orbit)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUsually, the deployment of satellites takes three to six months, depending on customer needs,\u201d notes Antonetti. \u201cBut during and after, we carry a lot of experiments and in-orbit validations. Reaching the maturity of a product is super important in space, to demonstrate that your product is viable. There\u2019s not many opportunities for developers in the space industry to test in a quick, affordable, and repetitive way \u2014 we are one of those platforms that can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Customers are increasingly showing interest in running the hosted payloads as an operational mission, rather than building their own satellite. \u201cThat, of course, is a big advantage for the customer,\u201d he continues. \u201cYes, you lose a little bit of flexibility, because you don\u2019t have your own spacecraft, but on the other side you don\u2019t have to actually spend a lot of money to build and develop your own, so it\u2019s a trade-off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ion fits comfortably inside the Falcon 9 but is too large for many of the smaller micro-launchers in the market, some of which offer similar services. D-Orbit is, nonetheless, in conversation with these other launch providers, especially as some have larger rockets on their roadmaps. Rides are also booked in the future with fellow European company PLD Space on its MIURA 5, as part of a recently signed agreement covering equatorial launches.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106072\" class=\"wp-image-106072 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2911\" height=\"1582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit.png 2911w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit-350x190.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit-630x342.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit-1920x1043.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-deploying-a-customer-payload-in-GEO-Credit-D-Orbit-1170x636.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2911px) 100vw, 2911px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106072\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rendering of Gea deploying a customer payload in GEO (Credit: D-Orbit)<\/p>\n<p>Gea spacecraft<\/p>\n<p>A new tug, named Gea is also in the works which will be ten times larger than Ion. Its name is an abbreviation of \u201cGeostationary Extension Assistant.\u201d The craft will introduce in-orbit services such as life extension or the relocation of assets, while still delivering payloads to GEO or even into lunar orbit. \u201cWe are trying, step by step, to develop this family of carriers to cover most of the environment between the Earth and the Moon, and then potentially beyond\u201d adds Antonetti.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Falcon Missions Forum<\/li>\n<li>ESA Forum section<\/li>\n<li>European spaceflight articles<\/li>\n<li>Click here to join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Last year D-Orbit signed a \u20ac120 million contract with ESA to develop this new carrier platform \u2014 the largest of its kind for commercial missions in Europe. Gea will be able to capture and dock with another spacecraft in GEO, and transport payloads from geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) to GEO or lunar orbit. The latter is not yet a big market commercially but the company has identified an institutional demand for it and is positioning itself to be able to deliver that service by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the market for tugs refueling other craft is in its infancy but is certainly an area where the company sees potential, and Gea is designed to be refilled from the outset. Gea will complement Ion with its larger payload capacity, additional capabilities, and higher delta-V. Inevitably D-Orbit\u2019s spacecraft family will grow further but, for now, the pair will give its customers a good cross-orbit coverage. \u201cWe are pretty set for the next three to four years,\u201d Antonetti says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are monitoring very carefully the evolution of the launcher market because it\u2019s not easy to predict. We are betting that the launch cost will decrease in the future because it looks like it\u2019s the general trend. To diversify us from the micro-launchers market, we prefer to grow in size and provide additional services. We try to differentiate ourselves through reliability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106073\" class=\"wp-image-106073 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2988\" height=\"1618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit.png 2988w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit-350x190.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit-630x341.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit-1920x1040.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-Gea-docking-with-another-satellite-in-orbit-Credit-D-Orbit-1170x634.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2988px) 100vw, 2988px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106073\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rendering of Gea docking with another satellite in orbit (Credit: D-Orbit)<\/p>\n<p>Key missions<\/p>\n<p>The Ion spacecraft performed an in-orbit rendezvous in April 2024 during its sixth mission which had launched the year before aboard Transporter 8 in June 2023. The collaboration with Starfish Space was intended to demonstrate autonomous satellite servicing capabilities in which its Otter Pup would approach the Ion craft. However, A software anomaly on Launcher\u2019s OTV, which carried Otter Pup, led to an emergency deployment of Otter Pup which began spinning at 330 degrees per second.<\/p>\n<p>Despite managing to stabilize the craft, a thruster failure then prevented the craft from proceeding with its planned approach. Instead, the Ion craft maneuvered towards it, closing the distance between the pair to approximately one kilometer \u2013 all captured by Otter Pup\u2019s onboard cameras. \u201cIt was an incredible mission because both companies could test some of their capabilities,\u201d notes Antonetti. \u201cFor us, it was basically a rendezvous with a virtual object. We were at the right place at the right moment and [anyone] who knows about space knows that it\u2019s not trivial to do this kind of mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>D-Orbit has taken the opportunity to test new subsystems on board Ion as it reaches the end of its own missions, testing maneuvers or different operational profiles that would perhaps be too risky during its operational life. This knowledge, built over the past four years, is now being transferred directly into the Gea platform.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106074\" class=\"wp-image-106074 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NOX-passes-qualification-testing-and-integration-at-the-Centrotecnica-facility-Credit-D-Orbit.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1368\" height=\"1047\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NOX-passes-qualification-testing-and-integration-at-the-Centrotecnica-facility-Credit-D-Orbit.jpeg 1368w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NOX-passes-qualification-testing-and-integration-at-the-Centrotecnica-facility-Credit-D-Orbit-350x268.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NOX-passes-qualification-testing-and-integration-at-the-Centrotecnica-facility-Credit-D-Orbit-457x350.jpeg 457w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NOX-passes-qualification-testing-and-integration-at-the-Centrotecnica-facility-Credit-D-Orbit-768x588.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NOX-passes-qualification-testing-and-integration-at-the-Centrotecnica-facility-Credit-D-Orbit-1170x895.jpeg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1368px) 100vw, 1368px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106074\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">NOX passes qualification testing and integration at the Centrotecnica facility (Credit: D-Orbit)<\/p>\n<p>NOX is a forthcoming Earth observation program using a spacecraft that is heavily based on Ion. Designed with a five-year lifespan, this mission is Antonetti\u2019s favorite to date. Overseen by ESA and initiated by Italy\u2019s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the project was an opportunity to push the boundaries of Ion\u2019s capability. D-Orbit has partnered with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) specialists MetaSensing for the project. Using its technology, NOX will deliver imaging performance with sub-meter ground resolution, using a 3.2 m deployable RF-TX antenna.<\/p>\n<p>NOX is part of the IRIDE program \u2014 a \u20ac26-million satellite contract including ground operations infrastructure and the potential for an additional SAR satellite, worth \u20ac24 million.\u200b The program will use various technologies including microwave and optical imaging, and will launch the first of its constellation in 2026. The European launcher that will loft the mission, potentially one of the Vega family, has yet to be confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe developed this 500-kilogram spacecraft and are starting to build the flight model,\u201d says Antonetti. The project has been challenging for the team, with a demanding time constraint \u2014 a little over two years to develop and adapt Ion for a new purpose and be ready to launch it in the middle of next year.<\/p>\n<p>Ion\u2019s cylindrical structure makes it more efficient for missions such as this, as it allows integrating or changing modules late into the mission preparation. \u201cWe changed some modules that were malfunctioning a few days before launch and, because everything was outside the principal body of the spacecraft, it\u2019s more efficient structurally. It\u2019s not that efficient in terms of space \u2014 you don\u2019t occupy all the volume you have, but for a space carrier, we think it\u2019s pretty efficient!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106070\" class=\"wp-image-106070 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-ESAs-RISE-in-orbit-servicing-mission-in-which-D-Orbit-and-Eutelsat-will-collaborate-in-GEO-Credit-ESA.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1140\" height=\"570\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-ESAs-RISE-in-orbit-servicing-mission-in-which-D-Orbit-and-Eutelsat-will-collaborate-in-GEO-Credit-ESA.png 1140w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-ESAs-RISE-in-orbit-servicing-mission-in-which-D-Orbit-and-Eutelsat-will-collaborate-in-GEO-Credit-ESA-350x175.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-ESAs-RISE-in-orbit-servicing-mission-in-which-D-Orbit-and-Eutelsat-will-collaborate-in-GEO-Credit-ESA-630x315.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Render-of-ESAs-RISE-in-orbit-servicing-mission-in-which-D-Orbit-and-Eutelsat-will-collaborate-in-GEO-Credit-ESA-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1140px) 100vw, 1140px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106070\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rendering of ESA\u2019s RISE in-orbit servicing mission in which D-Orbit and Eutelsat will collaborate in GEO (Credit: ESA)<\/p>\n<p>D-Orbit is, similarly, in conversation with other potential partners who are developing capsules that might one day return a customer payload to Earth, rather than moving into this field itself. Offering return journeys as part of the wider space transportation offer is not yet on the company\u2019s roadmap but the business model is being explored. Complexities include being able to predict and control where the capsule will return with reasonable certainty.<\/p>\n<p>D-Orbit missions follow a sequential numbering nomenclature such as ION-SCV 016, where SCV translates to \u201cSpace Carrier Vessel,\u201d taking some inspiration from the naming of naval vessels and classes. Each craft also has a more playful name that honors a member of the D-Orbit team, such as <em>Eclectic Elena<\/em> and <em>Marvelous Mathias<\/em>. The names of employees are drawn from a box and Antonetti is looking forward to his turn in about six flights\u2019 time. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have your name in space,\u201d he adds, \u201cand I think it\u2019s everyone\u2019s dream to have your own spacecraft. It was a very good idea, we are pretty proud of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each mission also has its own name, such as <em>Wish upon a Star<\/em> and <em>Endless Sky<\/em> which are the two most recent. These missions become your baby, he explains, and each has a story of its own that develops over the months between conception to launch, so it feels appropriate to give each of them a name. \u201cWe are very proud of our babies, and their path to the stars,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106069\" class=\"wp-image-106069 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2987\" height=\"1415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1.png 2987w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1-350x166.png 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1-630x298.png 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1-768x364.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1-1920x910.png 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Falcon-upper-stage-deploys-Ion-on-its-17th-orbital-transportation-mission-on-March-14-2025-Credit-SpaceX-1-1170x554.png 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2987px) 100vw, 2987px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-106069\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Falcon upper stage deploys Ion on its 17th orbital transportation mission on March 14, 2025 (center, top) (Credit: SpaceX)<\/p>\n<p>The future<\/p>\n<p>Demand has steadily increased since D-Orbit\u2019s first mission five years ago. The rising number of companies looking to test their technology in orbit will eventually lead to a better supply chain, from which everyone will benefit, Antonetti observes. \u201cIf you work in space, it\u2019s because you are a space enthusiast or passionate [about] space, so you want to see everyone succeed,\u201d he says. \u201cThe reason we are developing our spacecraft almost vertically is because the supply chain isn\u2019t that ready in Europe \u2014 we are [still] getting to that point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Acutely aware of the need to operate profitably, D-Orbit is also mindful of the need to do so ethically and sustainably. \u201cWe are in a very privileged position,\u201d Antonetti points out, noting that our generation will be forever remembered in history as the one that made it possible to live, and work, beyond Earth. \u201cWe have a responsibility to use this natural resource, which is space, in a sustainable way that us [sic], as the first generation of people learning how to live in space, will pass this message to the following generation. This is something that motivates my colleagues every day to do their job well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>(Lead image: Rendering of the Gea spacecraft repositioning an asset in orbit. Credit: D-Orbit)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italian company D-Orbit has been launching customer payloads aboard its Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) for the past five years. In that time, the company has positioned itself as a reliable space transportation provider and hosting platform. The company now plans to extend into on-orbit servicing and refueling missions, end-of-mission disposal, and cross-orbit transportation, including to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1653,246,8135,8136,8137,4344],"class_list":["post-23835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-d-orbit","tag-esa","tag-gea","tag-ion","tag-nox","tag-starfish-space"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23835"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23835\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}