Ororatech is known for its early warning system for forest and wildfires and has been gradually building its own satellite network since 2022. Access to its highly sensitive sensors has recently become available through an early access program. The new space startup promises notification of bush-sized fires and precise localization of fire sources within minutes.
Ororatech's offering has already convinced numerous customers of its solution, including SOPFEU, the fire service authority of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Munich-based startup's latest major customer is the European Union. By signing a multi-million-euro contract with ESA as part of the Copernicus Contributing Mission (CCM), Ororatech now also provides data for critical sectors such as emergency services, climate change analysis, marine management, and land management.
Martin Langer, CTO of Ororatech, explains:
"Given the European Union's increasing demand for commercial data, our potential to provide a comprehensive range of real-time thermal data will continue to grow. This will enable us to address diverse industries and support our partners in effectively mitigating the impacts of climate change."
The Exploration Company successfully tests hardware
While the first sensors from Ororatech are already orbiting the Earth on satellites, the hardware from The Exploration Company still has a long way to go. But the goal is no less ambitious: With the Nyx space capsule it developed itself, the new space startup aims to transport cargo and eventually people into space. This will supply space stations and conduct long-distance research missions. The spacecraft is designed to be reusable multiple times and capable of being refueled in orbit.
The New Space company, based in Weßling and Merignac near Bordeaux, has now achieved two important milestones in the development of Nyx. First, the capsule's pressure chamber for "Mission Possible," Nyx's maiden flight scheduled for late 2024, has passed pressure and leak tests. Progress has also been made with the reusable and throttleable orbital biomethane and oxygen engine. The first full-scale thrust chamber was successfully tested on the test bench, achieving continuous operation for ten seconds.
New partners for Reflex Aerospace and Cloudeo
Reflex Aerospace develops satellite platforms tailored to the individual needs of its customers. With Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS), the startup, based in Munich and Berlin, has now found an important partner. The company, based in Usingen near Frankfurt, is a service integrator and operator of managed gateways, offering data and voice communication services via satellite and data networks. Reflex Aerospace aims to launch satellites weighing more than 100 kg into orbit with its new partner. The satellite is expected to be the first of its class, with launch planned for fall 2024.
And also Cloudeo has gained a new partner. The new space company has been collecting data from over 60 satellite providers since 2012 and making it available to its customers. The data includes image files, 3D terrain models, thematic maps, and sensor data – bundled with software and IT. This means that data sets that are sometimes only needed once can be viewed on a rental basis instead of being expensively purchased. The Munich-based company's newest partner, Spire Global, builds, owns, and operates a fully equipped satellite constellation that delivers precisely this kind of data. Weather service providers such as ECMWF, NOAA, and NCAR rely in particular on the company's technologies and measurements. Cloudeo customers can now also use this data.
First mission for Talos
The young Munich-based New Space Startup Talos is pleased with its first contract. The startup develops satellite-based positioning technology for research, agriculture, and logistics. The Max Planck Society plans to use Talos' technology for its Icarus program. Icarus (International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space) is a research project for the continuous observation of animals from space using mini-satellites. Talos' Icarus receiver is scheduled to fly into space as a payload on an Ororatech Cubesat in October 2024. This was made possible by the Bundeswehr University Munich.
Dcubed announces world's first demonstration of 3D printing in space
Launching large structures into space is a particular challenge – either requiring multiple rocket launches to transport individual components into space and then assemble them there, or relying on deployable structures. However, these are only suitable for certain structures, such as solar panels. The Munich-based startup Dcubed offers so-called actuators that enable the structure to unfold.
In the future, however, another technology will enable construction in space: 3D printing. Dcubed is also a pioneer in this area. The startup plans to demonstrate the production of a three-dimensional structure in space as part of a demonstration mission as early as the first quarter of 2024. According to the company, this would be the first time ever that a product has been manufactured in open space. Specifically, a lattice structure approximately 30 centimeters long will be produced using an additive process.
Thomas Sinn, CEO & Founder of Dcubed, says:
"Our technology demonstration promises to revolutionize the manufacture and repair of structures in space and, at a more fundamental level, initiate a paradigm shift in our understanding of space hardware. Many of the long-term possibilities this will open up are beyond our comprehension today."
And although the milestone hasn't been reached yet, the company is already planning further: A test for the production of larger lattice structures is scheduled for 2025. And a smallsat solar array with an output of several kilowatts is planned for 2026. At the same time, the Munich-based company is also moving forward on Earth: Dcubed is currently working on opening a second location in Broomfield, Colorado.
