Orbion partners with U.S. Department of Defence on small satellite propulsion tech
“One way to increase the strength of space systems is to improve our country’s ability to build and release small satellites in great deals at low expenses,” said King in a statement, “Orbion is developing mass-production strategies to construct propulsion systems for commercial consumers. With this research study contract we are examining how or if our manufacturing processes must be modified to meet DOD requirements.”
Generally, it seems like that will boil down to seeing how Orbion’s propulsion technology can be used to DOD satellites when used in larger constellation type, to supply those satellites with the capability to move propulsively while in orbit, and to do so at a way that can scale cost-effectively. In a news release revealing the news, Orbion CEO Brad King says that volume is a method when it comes to strengthening U.S. systems in space agains potential foreign attack.
It’s true that in the past, the U.S. and other global powers with access to space have mainly concentrated on large, expensive, singular pieces of orbital hardware as their tactical assets. Shifting to the little satellite constellation technique presently being pursued by a variety of personal business absolutely has advantages in regards to redundancy and replaceability.
Orbion’s whole organisation proposal as a start-up is that its applying mass-production to in-space thrusters, which will bring down costs and make their innovation available to a much larger range of prospective customers than ever previously, and useful for application in small satellite design. The DOD might not have the very same budget-constraint problems as a cash-strapped satellite startup, but long-term cost savings that also comes with a tactical advantage is a tough bargain to skip.