News Article

Reusable Space Ecosystems Under Development By Modularity Space and Orbital Transports
Date: Jul 12, 2021
Source: SatNews ( click here to go to the source)

Featured firm in this article: Weintraus Inc of Daytona Beach, FL



Modularity Space and Orbital Transports now have a partnership to create a reusable ecosystem of suppliers, manufacturers and rideshare opportunities for payloads — by combining mission planning and supply chain management services provided by Orbital Transports with reusable spacecraft engineering from Modularity Space, the companies can offer affordable opportunities for payloads to get to orbit with a full, turn-key, mission package. The combined service provides an easy on-ramp to space for payload types ranging from technology demonstration and qualification missions to full constellation-scale deployments.

With flights starting in 2022, Modularity Space is mass producing reusable satellites and renting them to space companies for use in hosting their technology. Much like an apartment rental, customers pay a deposit before move-in and then pay monthly throughout the duration of their mission. Space companies can now benefit from rapid manufacturing timelines, affordable financing to get to space, and the reliability that comes from effective on-orbit satellite servicing.

"We're over the Moon to partner with Modularity Space to deliver reusable satellites," said David Hurst, CEO of Orbital Transports. "As a space logistics provider, Orbital Transports delivers complete small satellite programs from initial concept through completed mission. Under the agreement with Modularity Space, Orbital Transports will provide mission services, including systems engineering, design, development, payload testing and integration; and supply chain management services including smallsat products and services procurement, delivery schedule monitoring, product quality assessment, regulatory review, and shipping logistics. "If you want to put a payload in space or even deploy instruments in a constellation, there's no longer any reason to build your own satellite. Let us handle the space logistics of getting you there so you can focus on your primary mission objectives."

"Our partnership with Orbital Transports signifies a major milestone in the transition to reusable space as we are enabling standardization, automation, and mass production of reusable space systems," said Scott Weintraub, CEO of Modularity Space. "By partnering with Orbital Transports, leveraging their expertise, and building a constellation of satellites designed to be serviced in space, and then renting the space on each satellite in the constellation, space companies can build an entire constellation of sensors in space, without ever having to build an actual satellite. Combine this with the space tug companies coming online in search of spacecraft to service in space, and together, Modularity Space and Orbital Transports are enabling a reusable space ecosystem to be born."