Company - Lunasa Space (Lúnasa Space)
Product/Service - VIA
- Classification
- In-Space Transportation
- Category
- Space Tug
Transport Service (Earth-LEO)
Orbital Transportation
Hardware
Software
- Fields
- Reusable
Transport Service (In-Space)
- Status
- Development, Concept
- First launch
- 2025
- The SPRINT project will support the development of the company’s rendezvous proximity operations and docking (RPOD) technology. The primary objective of the SPRINT project is to accelerate the development of Lúnasa’s rendezvous and docking capabilities, identify suitable avionics and electronics, and further develop the concept of operations (CONOPs) in orbit.
- The technology is set for an orbital demonstration mission by late 2023. Lúnasa’s dual-stage in-space satellite servicing vehicle will be utilising the RPOD technology to become reusable and perform in-orbit satellite services.
- The first-of-its-kind vehicle will fit the type of launch vehicles planned for use from UK spaceports, offering satellite operators opportunities to reach otherwise unattainable or fuel-exhaustive orbits.
- This project, funded in partnership with the Satellite Applications Catapult at Harwell will focus on de-risking the vehicle’s rendezvous proximity operations and docking capabilities.
Proximus Prime
Lúnasa wins £1m grant to advance, test, and launch its autonomous RPO system, 2024-07-22.
- Lúnasa, a UK-based startup building key enabling systems and services for accelerating the in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) industry, announced today the signing of a grant contract worth £1m with the UK Space Agency (UKSA), under the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) Major projects.
- This contract, which is in partnership with Orbit Fab, a leader in providing satellite refuelling services, is focused on co-engineering, integrating, and testing Lúnasa’s autonomous Rendezvous Proximity Operations (RPO) kit around Orbit Fab’s UK-built satellite docking and refuelling interface (GRASP).
- Moreover, during this development, Lúnasa will deploy its first space mission to validate its RPO Kit and perform a first-of-its-kind UK-built commercial satellite close proximity demonstration.
- Lúnasa is designing and building a highly autonomous vision-based spacecraft Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) system that will be integrated by satellite primes, operators and launch service providers to enable in-orbit servicing missions which involve cooperative RPO.
- This project, dubbed Proximus Prime, is focused on further advancing Lúnasa’s RPO technology towards commercial operations by utilising ground and space tech demonstration missions.
VIA
VIA is Lúnasa’s first generation vehicle, a reusable, dual-stage, and automated miniature space station, offering ridesharing (last-mile delivery) and life-extension services for satellites in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
Our next generation vehicles will be more advanced and located in higher Earth orbits, providing a range of in-orbit services for satellites.
Status Comment / Notes
Sources
Most sources should be linked in the texts and headings as revealed by mouse-over, but here are they listed for visibility.
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