Orbex

[alanr74]

https://biofuels-news.com/news/study-reveals-green-credentials-of-orbex-biofuel-rocket/

Study reveals green credentials of Orbex biofuel rocket

The carbon footprint of launching the new Orbex Prime space rocket will be up to 95% lower than comparable space launch programmes, a new study has revealed.

[PM3]

Orbex builds a rehearsal pad in Kinloss, a few kilometers from their headquarter in Forres. It is called "Launch Platform" but not intended for launching. The platform will be identical to the pad that is to be built at Sutherland. Construction shall take just a few months.

https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2021/12/09/orbex_launch_platform/

http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=58943


50 years after Black Arrow: Orbex begins construction of new rocket launchpad in the UK

Press Release From: Orbex
Posted: Thursday, December 9, 2021

Orbex, Europe’s leading private small satellite launch services provider, has today announced it has started construction of its first state-of-the-art Launch Platform, the first orbital space launchpad to be built in the UK for more than half a century.

Orbex has commissioned Motive Offshore Group, a leading Scottish company specialising in the design and manufacture of marine and lifting equipment, to fabricate and install the Launch Platform at a dedicated test site near Kinloss, close to the Orbex headquarters in Forres, Scotland.

The Launch Platform, known as Orbex LP1, is expected to be fully operational by early 2022. An artist’s visualisation of the new facility has been released by Orbex today, as well as images of the ongoing construction at Motive Offshore.

The new Launch Platform will support the testing of Orbex´s Prime rocket, a micro-launcher designed to transport small satellites weighing around 150kg to low Earth orbit. Although actual launches of the Orbex Prime rocket will not take place at the Kinloss site, the Launch Platform will be fully capable of launching an orbital rocket, allowing for full ‘dress rehearsals’ of launch procedures.

Orbex LP1 is the first launchpad of its kind to be built in the UK since the High Down Rocket Test Site facility on the Isle of Wight, which was decommissioned in the early 1970s. High Down was the test site for the Black Arrow rocket, the first – and so far only – British-made rocket to successfully deliver a satellite into Earth's orbit, launching from Woomera in Australia on 28 October 1971.

The new Launch Platform in Kinloss will enable Orbex to accelerate plans to launch Prime from its ‘home’ spaceport at Sutherland in the North of Scotland. Space Hub Sutherland is the world’s first carbon neutral spaceport and the only spaceport in the UK to have received full planning permission. Construction of the spaceport is due to begin early in 2022 ahead of the first expected launch of Orbex Prime later in the year.

Motive Offshore Group has a rich heritage in the design and manufacture of bespoke deck and subsea equipment, and is a major supplier across the energy, oil and gas industries. All equipment is manufactured onsite at Motive’s headquarters in Banff, Scotland, and is built and tested to meet strict international standards across highly regulated industry sectors.

The new Launch Platform will be comprised of all the infrastructure and supporting services that will enable a wide variety of integration tests to take place during launch campaign preparation, including the testing of the main propellant tanks and multi-engine hot fire testing under vertical firing conditions. It will also enable the launch operations team to test launch procedures including rollout, strongback erection and fuelling procedures in advance of the first expected launch.


Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex:

“The ability for our engineers to test Prime on its own launchpad is a major advancement on the roadmap to launch, and we are happy to already be constructing this major piece of infrastructure with Motive Offshore, a partner which has a very strong track record in other relevant industries. This will be the first launchpad of its kind built in the UK for more than half a century and we look forward to seeing it completed and ready to go into service in the New Year.”

James Gregg, COO at Motive Offshore Group:

“Motive Offshore Group welcomes the opportunity to work with Orbex on this exciting project. Whilst the Aerospace arena may be new territory for Motive, we are completely focused on the standards and performance required to deliver outstanding custom engineering, so very much look forward to transferring our skills and expertise on this project.”

About Orbex

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing facilities in Denmark. Orbex staff members have professional backgrounds with NASA, ESA, Ariane and several commercial spaceflight organisations. The company is now funded by two of the UK’s largest and most active venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures, who join two of Europe's largest venture capital funds, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as strategic investor Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme.

https://orbex.space/

About Motive Offshore

Motive Offshore Group is a leading energy industry specialist, prioritising the development of a highly skilled team to create sustainable, multisector solutions that are tailored to clients’ needs. Active in 50 countries worldwide, and with five operating bases servicing the UK, Europe, MENA and APAC regions, Motive specialises in the design, manufacture, rental and inspection of marine and lifting equipment for the onshore and offshore oil and gas, renewables, marine and decommissioning industries. Launched in 2010 by James Gregg and David Acton, Motive is headquartered in Boyndie, Banff, Scotland, with additional facilities in Aberdeen, Blyth, Houston, Stavanger, Taiwan and the Middle East.

For further information, visit motive-offshore.com

[Steven Pietrobon]

Here's an image of what the pad will look like.

[alanr74]

They've applied for a launch licence!

https://www.mtdmfg.com/news/orbex-applies-for-licence-to-launch-first-rockets-from-scotland/

Orbex has submitted its application to the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a launch licence, the latest stage on its roadmap to beginning commercial space launches from the UK.

[Star One]

New video of the Orbex Prime launcher sitting on its Scottish launch pad:

[catdlr]

The video above (1 min point) shows the trucks carrying the launch platform getting off the highway onto this sideroad skirting the nearby Kinloss Airbase.


GoogleMapStreetView1

GoogleMapStreetView2

So it could be that ORBEX got permission to build their TEMP launch pad using one of the airbase aircraft holding pads in one of these two areas:

Area 1

Area 2

Area 2 is closer to the ocean.

My educated guess, based on the video of terrain, trees, pad configuration, sun passage (based on shadows), and the dirt berm in the background, will be this location on the base

Orbex Launch Pad GoogleMap

[TrevorMonty]

Test launch pad not the actual launch pad or site. See Dec21 post.

Still big achievement to have LV on a pad. Not sure if flight HW or test article.

 

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

[catdlr]

Test launch pad not the actual launch pad or site. See Dec21 post.

Still big achievement to have LV on a pad. Not sure if flight HW or test article.

 

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

Updated my post, thanks.

[Star One]

Test launch pad not the actual launch pad or site. See Dec21 post.

Still big achievement to have LV on a pad. Not sure if flight HW or test article.

 

Sent from my SM-G570Y using Tapatalk

I was wondering that as well if it’s just a test article. I cannot see any accompanying press release or anything of the sort.

[edzieba]

Test article.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/davidoxleyhie/status/1524311208647667712

Monumental day for our partners @orbexspace with the unveil of the Prime rocket on the test launch pad at Kinloss. Not every day you see the @HIEScotland logo ready to go into #Space . Countdown to launch starts now at @SpaceSutherland . Here we go #ScotlandIsNow @spacegovuk

[Rondaz]

Orbex Prime is the world’s most environmentally friendly space rocket - powered by 7 3D printed engines & fuelled by low carbon
@officialcalor Futuria Liquid Gas (previously known as BioLPG).

https://twitter.com/orbexspace/status/1539571457876959232

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://europeanspaceflight.com/orbex-announces-40-4-million-series-c-funding-round/

Orbex announces £40.4 million Series C funding round
By Andrew Parsonson - October 18, 2022

UK-based launch startup Orbex has announced the successful closing of a £40.4 million (approximately €46.5 million) Series C funding round.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/andrewparsonson/status/1587302773913264129

JUST IN: @orbexspace has announced that it is moving forward with plans to build and operate its own vertical launch site.

https://europeanspaceflight.com/orbex-to-begin-building-its-own-launch-facility/

The company signed a lease with the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the spaceport location on community-owned land on the A’ Mhoine peninsula in northwest Sutherland.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1587410803656892417

Orbex to lead Construction and Operational Management of Sutherland Spaceport.

Orbex granted a fifty-year lease on UK´s 1st mainland vertical launch spaceport site.

Spaceport specialist Jacobs contracted to deliver £20m construction project.

https://orbex.space/news/orbex-to-lead-construction-and-operational-management-of-sutherland-spaceport

01 November 2022

Orbex to Lead Construction and Operational Management of Sutherland Spaceport

Forres, UK, November 1, 2022 – A Scottish rocket manufacturer and orbital launch services provider is to build and operate the first vertical launch site for satellites on the UK mainland.

Orbex, based in Forres, Moray, has signed a lease with development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the spaceport location on community-owned land on the A’ Mhoine peninsula in north-west Sutherland.

HIE has been developing launch plans for several years and leases the site from Melness Crofters’ Estate. The sub-lease with Orbex will run for 50 years, with an option to extend for a further 25 years.

Orbex will oversee the construction and assume full operational management of the new facility. The 10-acre launch site will become the long-term ‘home’ spaceport of Orbex and will see the launch of up to 12 orbital rockets per year, carrying satellites into low Earth orbit.

Orbex’s role in the spaceport will stimulate significant private investment that will benefit the local community through job creation, supply chain opportunities and other associated economic benefits. Total private investment over the initial three-year period is expected to reach £20 million.

In addition to increased opportunities for local businesses and contractors as part of the spaceport’s construction, Orbex expects to create up to 40 technical and non-technical FTE jobs to support the operation and maintenance of the site. The roles will span a number of areas including facilities and operational management, security, general administration and finance, marketing, stakeholder engagement and launch campaign-related roles. Employment opportunities will be advertised locally when recruitment commences.

HIE identified the potential for the Highlands and Islands to play a significant role in the UK’s growing space sector several years ago, recognising that rural locations that are close to coasts and have a northern latitude can make ideal satellite launch sites.

With the backing of the UK Space Agency, HIE set to work developing plans for the Sutherland spaceport in 2018, with specialist input from architects NORR and construction consultants Gardiner and Theobald.

At the same time, HIE commissioned detailed environmental studies to inform a broad range of protection measures around the site.

Planning permission was granted by the Highland Council in August 2020. A separate development application to the Scottish Land Court – which was required as the launch site is on crofting land – was also successful.

Following its recent participation in Orbex’s Series C funding round, it has been confirmed that global technology-forward solutions company, Jacobs, will assume the role of prime construction contractor on behalf of Orbex. Jacobs will collaborate with Orbex to provide spaceport operations support, operations consultancy, and engineering services, drawing on its experience of managing and operating complex, highly regulated sites such as Cape Canaveral in the United States. Jacobs is NASA's largest services provider, delivering mission-tailored solutions and full lifecycle aerospace capabilities including the Mars Perseverance Rover and the Artemis deep space human exploration program.

Overseeing the construction and operational management of the new spaceport will allow Orbex to streamline the development of the state-of-the-art facility, drafting in industry experts such as Jacobs to help meet its objectives. Sutherland Spaceport is intended to become the world’s greenest spaceport, both in terms of its construction and its operation. One illustration of this is how peat lifted during the construction will be re-used to repair large areas of peatland that have degraded over centuries.

Uniquely, the new Orbex Prime rocket is powered by a renewable biofuel, Futuria Liquid Gas, supplied by Calor. This fuel allows the rocket to reduce carbon emissions significantly compared to other similarly sized rockets being developed elsewhere around the world. A study by the University of Exeter showed that a single launch of the Orbex Prime rocket will produce 96 per cent lower carbon emissions than comparable space launch systems using fossil fuels. Prime is also a re-usable rocket which has been engineered to leave zero debris on Earth and in orbit. Orbex has already received a great deal of interest from commercial satellite manufacturers and has signed launch contracts with a number of customers.

The spaceport is being constructed on the A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland, on land owned and managed by the Melness Crofters’ Estate (MCE) who have worked closely with HIE to bring the spaceport project to fruition and deliver local economic benefits.

Chris Larmour, CEO, Orbex:

“We are very grateful for the work that HIE and the Melness Crofters Estate have done, in getting us to the point where we can take the baton and start construction. We have collaborated closely with them over the past few years, and we are completely aligned in our vision of delivering a sustainable spaceport that will bring jobs and prosperity to the region. Orbex is the first European launcher company to also manage a dedicated spaceport. It is an important competitive advantage to the company, which will make it really easy for us to work with customers as we scale up our operations.”

David Oxley, Director of Strategic Projects, Highlands and Islands Enterprise:

“The space industry represents a huge economic opportunity for the Highlands and Islands and for Scotland. The steps we’ve taken to establish launch capability in Sutherland have already delivered a significant economic impact as a key factor in attracting Orbex to establish their manufacturing facility and test site in Moray, creating dozens of skilled jobs, with many more in the pipeline.

“We believe the spaceport has the capacity to generate around 250 jobs in our region, including 40 on site, plus opportunities in manufacturing, supply chain, research and service provision.

“With Orbex now set to build and operate the spaceport, we’ve reached a key stage in our partnership that will not only see launches happening from Sutherland but a whole range of wider economic benefits delivered for the Highlands and Islands.”

Comments from Partners:

Jacobs:

“The Orbex Prime rocket promises to be a game changer for small satellite developers and operators, enabling them to launch light satellites much more efficiently and cost-effectively. Sutherland Spaceport is an important development for the European space industry and will bring major economic and social benefits to North Highland and Moray, where our business has been active for decades in supporting operations, decommissioning and remediation at the Dounreay nuclear site.” - Karen Wiemelt, Senior Vice President, Jacobs Energy, Security and Technology

Melness Crofters’ Estate:

“The Moine is a beautiful part of our estate that deserves to be respected, and we know it is in extremely good hands with Orbex managing the operation of the spaceport. Since the very beginning of our relationship with Orbex, our mutual focus has been very much on safety, the environment and the creation of job opportunities for the local community. We have seen massive population decline in the area over the past few years and our community is being starved of its lifeblood, young people. This is our way - perhaps a less-than-obvious way - of bringing new life back to our area. We are excited for the positive impact this will have on our community over the coming years.” - Dorothy Pritchard, Chair

Scottish Government:

“This announcement brings us another step closer to becoming Europe’s leading space nation through the provision of sustainable launch.

“Innovative companies like Orbex are vital to achieving the aims of our National Strategy for Economic Transformation, that strives for Scotland to be a nation of entrepreneurs and innovators with resilient supply chains.” - Ivan McKee, Business Minister

UK Space Agency:

“The 50-year lease is fantastic news for Orbex and the wider UK space sector.

“Construction of Sutherland Spaceport will mark a major step forward for Scotland’s vertical launch capability and lead to the creation of a range of new jobs in the local community and beyond.

“We’ve provided funding to support the development of Orbex’s Prime rocket and the spaceport, and I’m confident that this new agreement will allow Orbex to strengthen the UK’s position as the leading destination in Europe for commercial spaceflight services and international investment.” - Ian Annett, Deputy CEO

Orbex Media Enquiries
Sonus PR for Orbex
Martin Smith
+44 7413 028 935
[email protected]

[PM3]

Is there any reliable indication that Orbex has produced anything else but mockup hardware? E.g. any videos of successful engine runs?

[moontomars]

It has been over half a year and I was doing a longer writeup on Orbex, so here are some updates.

Orbex was signed to oversee operation and construction of the smaller of the UK veritcal launch sites, the space hub Sutherland, in November 2022. They will subcontract construction to Jacobs, who do a lot of work for NASA, I believe including for Cape Canaveral.

Orbex has also closed a GBP 40 million funding round from old and new investors. They've almost quadrupled their team size to roughly 130 to 150 now.

Is there any reliable indication that Orbex has produced anything else but mockup hardware? E.g. any videos of successful engine runs?

I don't think there are any specific updates. Looking at the development, I believe Orbex is still in a rather early stage of development.



In a recent podcast, Larmour (Orbex's CEO) has indicated that 2023 is "possible" for a launch, but he would not give timelines, only that the development plan was "36 A1-sized pages" of things they still have to do. Now, I'd say it is highly unlikely we'll get a launch in 2023 considering the circumstances, such as:

- they have a whole spaceport to build, operate and manage, something that they have no preceding knowledge and which will involve massive coordination efforts with outsourcing partners
- they've ramped up employee count only after 2021 (up until then, no more than 50 people have been at Orbex), and a lot of critical infrastructure was delivered only in 2022 (such as large 3D printers etc.)

Another thing that makes me wonder - and I'm very welcoming of criticism on this - is the business plan viability. Larmour is adamant that they'll remain at their maximum of 12 launches per year. Yet, with their supposed promise of "low cost access to space", any launch price over GBP 35,000 per kg (USD 40,000) would be quite a stretch (40k already is!). Now at 150kg payload and 12 launches per year,
- with 300 employees (though 400 are planned) at a very cheap estimated GBP 45,000 cost,
- launch revenue of maximum GBP 5 million,
- launch vehicle cost of very favorable GBP 3,5 million
this comes out to a couple million in profit. But those are very favorable and naive assumptions, and there is no way for a positive return on investment any time soon. Quite perplexing.

I'm also wondering how those launch price calculations for the Sutherland spaceport are being negotiated, when both provider and customer are the same company

My longer Orbex in-depth report here

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/andrewparsonson/status/1646826049324437507

Big news just in: @orbexspace has announced that CEO Chris Larmour will be stepping down. The press release doesn't give a lot of detail stating simply that the change of leadership will allow the company to "prepare for the next stage of growth."

https://twitter.com/andrewparsonson/status/1646826052553961475

There's no indication of who will be the new CEO, either. According to the Chairman of the board of directors Bart Markus the company will be "making further announcements about the new leadership team in due course."

[ringsider]

Interesting move: Orbex signs collaboration deal with Arianespace:

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1668581002921357314

Arianespace does not move quickly, and does solid due diligence.

[greybeardengineer]

Interesting move: Orbex signs collaboration deal with Arianespace:

I think you got a little ahead of yourself. It basically means Arianspace will look into possible collaboration with Orbex. There is no commitment to do anything other than talk.