• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • NEWS:
  • SatNews
  • SatMagazine
  • MilSatMagazine
  • SmallSat News
  • |     EVENTS:
  • SmallSat Symposium
  • Satellite Innovation
  • MilSat Symposium

SatNews

  • HOME
  • Magazines
  • Events
  • Perspectives
  • Industry Calendar
    • IN PERSON
    • VIRTUAL
  • Subscribe

Orbion Space Technology Collects Million$$$ In Series B Funding To Scale Up Plasma Thrusters Production

June 25, 2021

Orbion Space Technology has raised $20 million in Series B funding in an oversubscribed round led by Inventus Capital Partners, a venture firm focused on developing companies that are defining and dominating high-growth markets — additional participants in the round include Material Impact, Beringea and Wakestream Ventures.

Orbion Aurora propulsion system test.

With Orbion’s Aurora Hall-effect plasma thruster system seeing widespread market acceptance, the company has quickly outgrown its existing manufacturing infrastructure.

Orbion’s Aurora propulsion system uses the spacecraft’s electrical power to provide gentle but very fuel-efficient thrust that is required by commercial constellations, demanding government applications as well as deep-space science missions. Aurora is used throughout the life of a spacecraft to raise the orbit altitude, avoid in-space collisions and finally de-orbit the spacecraft at end of life. Orbion’s manufacturing approach combines best practices developed in the automotive and tactical missile industries to achieve the optimal combination of capacity, low-cost, and high-reliability.

Orbion Space Technology’s Aurora system.

As the demand for electric propulsion increases, Orbion has been receiving and responding to high interest from constellation builders, with an estimated $1 billion in market opportunities. Recent notable contracts include the Department of Defense and Blue Canyon.

“We have built and are operating a state-of-the-art space manufacturing factory, but due to unprecedented market demand we are at a point that additional capital will help us to scale our production capacity to 100s of units per year with no sacrifice in quality,” said Brad King, Co-Founder and CEO of Orbion. “Owning the whole manufacturing process is key to controlling quality and ensuring responsiveness for our customers. We considered various business models that employed contract manufacturers to build our thrusters, but at the end of the day the thruster carries an Orbion brand and our customers need to know that it was built entirely by experts in the field. We are strong believers in vertically integrated manufacturing, and we are excited to scale our best-in-class space factory operations.”

“The space game is changing. Large satellites are being replaced by a multitude of nano-satellites; just like the PCs replaced mainframes. Orbion is providing these nano-satellites maneuverability to get into more precise orbits and stay there longer,” said Kanwal Rekhi, MD, Inventus Capital Partners.

Filed Under: Funding, Propulsion, Venture Capital Tagged With: Featured

Primary Sidebar

Most Read Stories

  • Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Enlists NanoAvionics For Three Surveillance Satellites
  • Miratlas Secures Million$€ In Seed Funding
  • First Structural Metal Cutting In Space Demo By Nanoracks + Maxar Will Be Aboard The SpaceX Transporter 5 Rideshare Mission
  • Aussie Government Invests $23.6M Towards Growing Global Space Sector
  • Wyld + DEWA Partner To Launch New IoT Satellite Network + Services For The Utilities Sector

About Satnews

  • Contacts
  • History

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020

Secondary Sidebar

x
Sign up Now (For Free)
Access daily or weekly satellite news updates covering all aspects of the commercial and military satellite industry.
Invalid email address
We value your privacy and will not sell or share your email or other information with any other company. You may also unsubscribe at anytime.

Click Here to see our full privacy policy.
Thanks for subscribing!