Virgin Orbit Expands Releationship with SatRev
June 29, 2021
Virgin Orbit has signed a
new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will
expand its relationship with SatRevolution, the
low-cost small satellite manufacturer and space
services company based in Wrocław, Poland. The
new agreement, which comes as two SatRevolution
satellites are in the final countdown for launch
on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system, lays the
groundwork for the launch of hundreds of
additional satellites as well as the joint
development of integrated mission services, and
other potential areas of collaboration.
SatRevolution’s first two
STORK satellites are fully integrated into a
LauncherOne rocket slated to launch to orbit
from the Mojave Air and Space Port as soon as
tomorrow morning. Per the MOU, SatRevolution has
selected Virgin Orbit to support multiple
additional missions to space each year through
2026, as the company works to develop and
populate its “constellation of constellations,”
including its STORK constellation and other
potential constellations for Internet of Things
(IOT) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
applications.
Further expanding the two
companies’ strategic partnership, Virgin Orbit
and SatRevolution will also explore ways to
streamline the broader space value chain for
small satellites. These joint offerings could
include hosted payload services on LauncherOne,
turnkey solutions for rapid deployment of space
services, and more.
Additionally, Virgin Orbit
and SatRevolution will actively seek ways to
further cultivate Poland’s rapidly growing space
industry, such as pursuing new opportunities for
in-country launch and mission services. Virgin
Orbit and SatRevolution will also continue to
collaborate alongside several of Poland’s top
research universities as part of the Polish
Mission to Mars consortium, which is working to
develop a series of missions to the Red Planet.
SatRevolution co-founder
and CEO Grzegorz Zwoliński said: “This new
agreement is the best thing that could happen to
SatRevolution. The cooperation with Virgin Orbit
will confirm SatRevolution both as a center of
the Polish NewSpace industry and as a rapidly
growing player in the global market. Both of our
companies share the same desire to make space
more accessible and therefore closer cooperation
is the next natural step.”
Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart
commented: “We enjoy a fantastic relationship
with the folks at SatRevolution, as our two
companies are well-aligned in our aspirations to
drive forward the small satellite revolution.
The Virgin Orbit team is excited about the
opportunity to further our strategic partnership
with Grzegorz and his team to collaborate,
expand our offerings and make the benefits of
space more accessible for people in Poland, in
the U.S. and around the world.”
