Company - ThinkOrbital (Think Orbital)
Product/Service - ThinkPlatform-1
- Classification
- Space Stations & Habitats
- Category
- Commercial Space Station
Space Construction Company
Microgravity Flight Service (LEO)
On-Orbit Servicing
Space Tug
- Fields
- Large Space Structures
Space Welding
Toolkit
- Status
- Development
- First launch
- 2024
Accelerating commercialisation of cis-lunar Space. Our mission is to develop the technologies for assembly of large pressure vessels in space and apply these technologies to build large and scalable space stations.
Roadmap: Human Orb2 operational around 2028-2031.
Space Welding
First-ever autonomous in-space weld to the historic return of flown-in-space Electron-beam welder samples. Launched on Falcon-9 first stage as a suborbital mission.
Satellite repair toolkit with X-ray vision
ThinkOrbital developing satellite repair toolkit with X-ray vision, SpaceNews, 2024-05-28.
- ThinkOrbital later in 2024 will attempt to demonstrate a robotic arm in space equipped with a welder gun that could be used to repair and take X-ray images of satellites.
- May's experiment validated ThinkOrbital’s core welding technology by performing autonomous welding tests of aluminum samples during the suborbital flight.
- For its self-funded demonstration in October, the company plans to test a robotic arm equipped with an electronic beam welder that can also generate X-rays to inspect objects in space. This X-ray capability has piqued the interest of the U.S. military as a possible way to identify potential threats in orbit.
- ThinkOrbital has secured a U.S. Air Force Phase 1 Small Business Innovative Research contract to investigate satellite-to-satellite X-ray inspection and is applying for Phase 2 funding.
- Rosen said the October demonstration of the robotic toolkit is being funded with the company’s pre-seed round. ThinkOrbital is kicking off a seed funding round next month.
ThinkPlatform-1
- Specifications: 8.5 meter diameter
- Volume 300 m3
- Attached to an existing space station
- Pressurizable
- Use cases: Storage, fuel depot, entertainment.
ThinkPlatform-2
ThinkPlatform-2 - Platform for on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (OSAM).
- Specifications: 20 meter diameter
- Volume 4000 m3
- Free-flying
- Non-pressurized
- Use cases: Providing safe environment for servicing, refueling and in-space manufacturing.
ThinkPlatform-3
- Specifications: 20 meter diameter
- Volume 4000 m3
- Free-flying
- Pressurized and human rated for up to 40 people
- Use cases: Private tourism, research.
ThinkPlatform-4
ThinkPlatform-4 - Combining multiple existing ThinkPlatforms into thriving commercial hubs.