The Exploration Company

Last updated
The Exploration Company
Industry Aerospace
FoundedJuly 2021;3 years ago (2021-07)
Headquarters
Munich
,
Germany
ProductsNyx
Number of employees
200
Website www.exploration.space

The Exploration Company is a European spacecraft manufacturer. [1] Based in Munich, Germany and Bordeaux, France, the company develops, manufactures and operates the Nyx space capsule for space agencies and space stations as well as both space and non-space companies in other industries. [2] Although the company's first missions will be cargo missions, Nyx is designed to ultimately also be able to carry humans. [3]

Contents

History

The Exploration Company was founded in July 2021 by Hélène Huby (CEO) with a group of space engineers who had worked together on European space programs at Airbus and ArianeGroup, including Orion-ESM and ATV. [4] [5] [6]

In November 2021, the company raises 5 million euros. [7] [8]

In February 2023, the company announced a fundraising of 40 million euros to develop its Nyx capsule, successfully completed, [6] making it the largest series A in the space industry in Europe. [9]

On May 29, 2023, the Exploration Company was awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study solutions for future European single-use and reusable spacecraft, covering micro-mini, medium, heavy and crewed applications. In total, ESA awarded four contracts on this topic. The other three went to the companies ArianeGroup, Avio and SENER. These four contracts are intended to contribute to the realization of ESA's Vision 2030+, which was initiated in 2021. It aims to create small, medium, and heavy support vessels based on a common set of reusable, standardized modules. [10]

In October 2022, The Exploration Company is one of the winners of the space component of the France 2030 investment plan for future for its work on its liquid methane rocket engine. [11] The company is once again one of the winners of the space component in July 2023 for its DEMARLUS project. [12]

In September 2023, the company announces an agreement with Axiom Space for the cargo supply of its station in the form of a pre-contract subject to validation of technological milestones during the development of its spacecraft. [13]

The company was selected, along with Thales Alenia Space in May 2024, for ESA's Commercial Cargo program. [14] In June 2024, the company signed a contract with Vast Space for cargo missions. [15]


Hardware: Nyx spacecraft

Design

The Nyx vehicle is composed of a cylindrical service module and a conical space capsule. It measures 4 meters in diameter with a total mass of 8 tonnes. [6] It will be capable of carrying 4,000 kg of payload into low Earth orbit for a maximum of 6 months, with up to 2,500 kg of pressurized cargo and 100 kg of unpressurized cargo being onboard the vehicle. The service module of the vehicle will be able to transport 1,400 kg of unpressurized cargo. [8] Nyx will be able to fly freely for up to six months, and will be capable of docking to space station in LEO.

Although the company's first missions are cargo missions, Nyx is designed to eventually be able to transport humans. [16]

Nyx's interfaces are open, and its operating system is open-source software, which contributes to other space exploration projects whose technologies can inter-operate. [17] [18] [19] The Nyx capsule is modular in nature, with several configuration options for different mission objectives and destinations, while also being capable of launching on multiple vehicles. [20] [21] [22] Nyx can be reused five times, [23] and will be capable of in-orbit refueling. Nyx and uses green propellants for altitude control and docking (high-test peroxide), as well as cryogenic bio-methane & oxygen for reaching lunar destinations. [24] [25] [26]

Development

The Exploration Company plans to develop two smaller-scale demonstrators. The first, nicknamed Bikini, is a capsule 60 centimeters in diameter weighing approximately 40 kilograms. [6] [27] It was launched on the inaugural flight of Ariane 6 to validate the general profile of the capsule and thermal protection but it never reentered as the upper stase failed to deorbit. The second demonstrator, named Mission Possible, is a larger capsule measuring 2.5 m in diameter and weighing 1,600 kg, capable of carrying 300 kg of payload (already reserved by the European Space Agency, the German space agency and French space agency). It will be launched by a Falcon 9 in 2024, and validate a more controlled reentry with propulsion and landing via parachute. [6] [27] The full-scale version, named Mission Odyssey, is planned to fly in 2026. [28]

Purpose

The company's target customers include space agencies and space stations as well as both space and non-space companies in other industries. [28] [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Space Agency</span> European organization dedicated to space exploration

The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 22-member intergovernmental body devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,200 people globally as of 2022, ESA was founded in 1975. Its 2024 annual budget was €7.8 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariane 4</span> Rocket

The Ariane 4 was a European expendable launch vehicle, developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariane 1</span> Rocket

Ariane 1 was the first rocket in the Ariane family of expendable launch systems. It was developed and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), which had been formed in 1973, the same year that development of the launcher had commenced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated Transfer Vehicle</span> Uncrewed cargo spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency

The Automated Transfer Vehicle, originally Ariane Transfer Vehicle or ATV, was an expendable cargo spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), used for space cargo transport in 2008–2015. The ATV design was launched to orbit five times, exclusively by the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle. It effectively was a larger European counterpart to the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft for carrying upmass to a single destination—the International Space Station (ISS)—but with three times the capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CSTS</span> Former proposed design for a crewed spacecraft for low Earth orbit operations

Crew Space Transportation System (CSTS), or Advanced Crew Transportation System (ACTS), was a proposed design for a crewed spacecraft for low Earth orbit operations such as servicing the International Space Station, but also capable of exploration of the Moon and beyond. It was originally a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Roscosmos, but later became solely an ESA project. This study was conceived as a basic strategic plan to keep a viable European human spaceflight program alive.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orel (spacecraft)</span> Planned reusable crewed spacecraft

Orel or Oryol, formerly Federation, and PPTS, is a project by Roscosmos to develop a new-generation, partially reusable crewed spacecraft.

A heavy-lift launch vehicle is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO). As of 2024, operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5 and the Proton-M.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space tug</span> Spacecraft used to transfer cargo from one orbit to another

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orion (spacecraft)</span> American–European spacecraft class for the Artemis program

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of space station cargo vehicles</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariane 6</span> European space launch vehicle

Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system operated by Arianespace and developed and produced by ArianeGroup on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). It replaces Ariane 5, as part of the Ariane launch vehicle family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Service Module</span> Primary power and propulsion component of the Orion spacecraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">ArianeGroup</span> European aerospace company

ArianeGroup is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris. It consists of three core groups: aerospace, defence, and security. ArianeGroup has developed its next-generation two-stage Ariane 6 launch vehicle, which succeeded the Ariane 5 rocket, that had more than 110 launches. The new vehicle offers two variants that will be capable of carrying between 10,350 and 21,650 kilograms. The first launch of Ariane 6 occurred on July 9 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Rider</span> Planned ESA uncrewed spaceplane

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artemis program</span> NASA-led lunar exploration program

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References

  1. ↑ International Astronautical Federation. "IAF : The Exploration Company GmbH". www.iafastro.org. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  2. ↑ "Hogan Lovells advises various investors in the €40 million fundraising of The Exploration Company". www.hoganlovells.com. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  3. ↑ "The Exploration Company". EU-Startups. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  4. ↑ Alamalhodaei, Aria (2022-07-28). "The Exploration Company is developing a brand new reusable orbital spacecraft". TechCrunch . Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  5. ↑ Root, Al. "SpaceX Isn't the Only Space Company That Can Raise Money". Barron's . Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Rainbow, Jason (2023-02-02). "European startup gets $44 million for space station transportation vehicles". SpaceNews . Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  7. ↑ Damien Copitet (19 March 2023). "The Exploration Company lève 40 millions d'euros". www.planetegrandesecoles.com (in French). Retrieved 7 August 2023..
  8. 1 2 Parsonson, Andrew (2022-02-23). "The Exploration Company aims to offer Europe independent access to space". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  9. ↑ Vincent Lamigeon (1 February 2023). "Nyx, la capsule spatiale européenne qui veut concurrencer SpaceX". Challenges (in French). Retrieved 7 August 2023..
  10. ↑ "Signature of industrial contracts for the consolidation of the common building blocks for future European reusable launch systems". ESA . 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  11. ↑ "France 2030 : Présentation des premiers résultats du volet spatial" (PDF). www.gouvernement.fr (in French). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2023..
  12. ↑ "Présentation des résultats du volet spatial de France 2030" (PDF). www.gouvernement.fr (in French). 5 July 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023..
  13. ↑ Michel Cabirol (12 September 2023). "Spatial : Et le jour de gloire est arrivé pour The Exploration Company". La Tribune (in French). Retrieved 13 September 2023..
  14. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2024-05-22). "ESA selects Thales Alenia Space and The Exploration Company for commercial cargo program". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  15. ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2024-06-11). "Vast Contracts The Exploration Company for Cargo Mission". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  16. ↑ Hassan Meddah (1 February 2023). "The Exploration Company, la start-up franco-allemande qui veut révolutionner la logistique spatiale". L'Usine nouvelle (in French). Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  17. ↑ FinSMEs (2023-02-01). "The Exploration Company Raises €40M in Series A Funding". FinSMEs. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  18. ↑ Kulu, Erik. "The Exploration Company - Factories in Space". www.factoriesinspace.com. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  19. ↑ "Germany-based The Exploration Company bags €40.5M from EQT Ventures, others to advance space democratisation efforts | Silicon Canals". 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  20. ↑ "NYX | The Exploration Company". BSGN. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  21. ↑ "The Exploration Company" . Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  22. ↑ "SpaceX challenger raises €40m to build Europe's first reusable rocket". Sifted. 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  23. ↑ Neuhauser, Alan (2023-02-01). "The Exploration Company raises €40M for green space capsule". Axios. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  24. ↑ "The Exploration Company | Space Impulse". app.spaceimpulse.com. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  25. ↑ Garrett Reim. "The Exploration Company Raises €40m For Reusable Space Capsule | Aviation Week Network". Aviation Week & Space Technology . Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  26. ↑ "The Exploration Company Selects Benchmark Space Systems Propulsion System To Power its 'Mission Possible' Demonstrator Flight in 2024". www.benchmarkspacesystems.com. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  27. 1 2 Alexandre Laurent (20 January 2023). "Espace : The Exploration Company veut diviser par 4 le prix de la logistique spatiale". www.placeco.fr (in French). Retrieved 7 August 2023..
  28. 1 2 "The Exploration Company Secures €40 Million Funding". Spacewatch Global. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  29. ↑ Larissa Holzki (1 February 2023). "Raumfahrt: Raumschiff-Start-up sammelt 40 Millionen Euro ein". Handelsblatt (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-09.
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