Collaborating with key industry players - Axiom Space, Northrop Grumman, and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) - Orbital is set to revolutionise two critical applications: Satellite-Based Cellular Broadband (SBCB) and Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP), providing universal access to broadband internet and clean energy worldwide. 

“Orbital envisions a future where space infrastructure is no longer bound by the limitations of traditional earth-based manufacturing and assembly methods”, says Amolak Badesha, Co-Founder, and CEO of Orbital.  “Our robotic ISAM platform represents a quantum leap in the way we construct and maintain space-based structures. Through cutting-edge 3D printing technology and advanced robotics, Orbital is unlocking unprecedented possibilities for scientific advancement, national security, and commercial space ventures.”

"This prestigious SBIR award, coupled with our partnerships with Axiom Space, Northrop Grumman, and SwRI, marks a crucial juncture in our journey," said Cole Nielsen, Founder and CTO of Orbital. "Our Space Factories will leverage advanced robotics and autonomous systems to build high-performance antennas in space, reducing the cost by >100X."

Large antennas are needed for SBCB, and exceptionally large (km-scale) antennas are needed for SBSP. Both applications require high-volume and low-cost manufacturing processes and ISAM capabilities. Directly manufacturing and assembling antennas in Space holds the potential to dramatically reduce cost of deploying and will enable new disruptive commercial opportunities. Just last month, Orbital signed an MOU with Virtus Solis to build the first MW-scale SBSP station.

A strategic partnership with Axiom Space is key to Orbital Composites' vision. As a front-runner in a race to build commercial space stations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Axiom Space has a vested interest in ISAM. The two companies are exploring the development of an orbital ISAM “laboratory” on Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station in LEO. The companies will also explore potential applications for ISAM like antennas and even building parts of the future space station itself.  

Commenting on the partnership, Jason Aspiotis, Director of In-Space Infrastructure and Logistics at Axiom Space, stated, “The future of the in-space economy relies on large-scale, in-space manufacturing and assembly. Partnering with Orbital Composites, a leader in this field, allows us to nurture the development of these vital technologies. The strategic partnership offers both companies a chance to accelerate their shared mission of advancing humanity’s presence in space.”

Beyond LEO, Orbital is already planning to develop ISAM capabilities in GEO. Space Logistics, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, has pioneered in-space servicing of GEO satellites using its fleet of commercial servicing vehicles:  the Mission Extension Vehicle (“MEV”), the Mission Robotic Vehicle (“MRV”) and the Mission Extension Pod (“MEP”). Space Logistics will lend its expertise to help refine Orbital’s Antenna Space Factory for GEO.

Another key partner in the project is SwRI, with decades of experience in advanced robotics and space. “ISAM is incredibly important for the development and utilisation of space,” says Branson Brockschmidt, Senior Robotics Research Engineer at SwRI. “In partnering with Orbital Composites on this SpaceWERX Orbital Prime SBIR, we intend to design and test systems in vacuum and thermal conditions to advance robotic ISAM.”

This SpaceWERX Orbital Prime Direct-to-Phase II SBIR award is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) with a mission to create partnerships with companies working in the emerging space industry. Orbital Prime’s focus is on accelerating capabilities related to In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM).

Thanks to the Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR award from the USSF, Orbital Composites will expedite the development of its advanced manufacturing technologies, with plans to launch its first Space Factory module within the next three-to-five years.