Arianespace and D-Orbit announced today the signature of an
agreement to offer InOrbit NOW launch and deployment service
through the launch of D-Orbit’s ION CubeSat Carrier on the Vega
launch vehicle, as part of the Small Spacecraft Mission Service
(SSMS) Proof Of Concept flight (POC flight).
D-Orbit’s ION CubeSat Carrier, a free flying CubeSat
deployer and technology demonstrator, will be launched on
Vega in 2019 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The CubeSat carrier will
host several CubeSats to be deployed once in orbit.
D-Orbit’s InOrbit NOW is a revolutionary launch and
deployment service designed to transport CubeSats to space
and release them into independent orbital slots.
Arianespace’s launch contract with D-Orbit includes a
significant number of CubeSats with an overall separated
mass of about 100 kg. Positioned in a sun-synchronous orbit
at 500 km., ION CubeSat Carrier will deploy the hosted
CubeSats along the orbit over a period of approximately one
month. After completing the CubeSat deployment phase, ION
CubeSat Carrier will initiate the inorbit validation phase
of payloads directly integrated on the platform.
The Vega POC flight will be the first mission of the SSMS, a
modular carbon fiber dispenser, a program initiated by ESA
in 2016, with the contribution of the European Commission.
For all the European partners involved, its purpose is to
address the burgeoning institutional and commercial small
spacecraft market with a new rideshare concept.
Vega is part of the Arianespace launcher family, alongside
the Ariane 5 heavy launcher and the Soyuz medium launcher,
operated from the Guiana Space Center. Based in Colleferro,
Italy, Avio is the industrial prime contractor for Vega.
After the signature of the contract, D-Orbit’s Chief
Executive Officer Luca Rossettini said: “We are proud to
partner with Arianespace for our first InOrbit NOW mission.
The exponential growth of nanosatellite launch demand is
just the beginning of a new space era and a beneficial space
economy. ION CubeSat Carrier is the first transportation
vehicle for nanosats that expand the launch service to a
sort of door-to-door delivery, and it is also the perfect
platform for in-orbit demonstration and validation
experiments. Nanosatellites are creating a convergence
between innovative technology, space heritage, and
commercial opportunities: the collaboration between D-Orbit
and Arianespace will further this convergence.”
“We are honored D-Orbit selected us to launch the InOrbit
NOW payload on the Vega’s Small Spacecraft Mission Service
(SSMS) Proof of Concept flight. It is the first time our two
companies have collaborated on a launch, and we fully plan
to justify their confidence in us. Arianespace is proud to
offer innovative launch solutions targeting the fast-growing
smallsat market segment and enabling the success of CubeSat
integrators and technology demonstrators. Our Vega is
perfectly adapted to deliver for this promising market,”
said Stephane Israël, CEO of Arianespace.
