In October of this year, Launcher will launch six customer satellites into orbit using its Orbiter space tug. Among the customers are universities and startups. Several more companies are looking to use the services of a tugboat in the future.
Space tug will launch six satellites into orbit
The Launcher company, known as the developer of the Orbiter space tug, announced that its device will carry out its first commercial mission in the autumn of this year. Its launch, along with six customer satellites, is expected on a SpaceX rocket in October as part of the next combined launch of Transporter.
Several companies are currently testing space tugs, that is, vehicles designed to send satellites to target orbits. In winter, experiments on docking were conducted by Astroscale. Then China demonstrated its device.
However, customers saw a huge potential in the Launcher project, so even for the first mission, customers almost did not have to look for. Three startups used the company’s services: Skyline Celestial, Innova Space and NPC Spacemind. The tug will also take two university satellites and one whose owner is not disclosed to orbit.
Launcher Future
And this is just the beginning. Launcher is planning the second, third and fourth missions. Exactly how much customers will pay for services in the first mission is not disclosed. It is only known that the company asks from 8 to 25 thousand dollars per kilogram of cargo, depending on the orbit to which it needs to be brought. It also has a special offer with a price of 400 thousand dollars, which will include servicing a single customer with the device.
If the first commercial launch is successful, Launcher will make three more in 2023. Cesium Astro, which plans to deploy its communication network with the help of a tug, TRL11, specializing in space technologies, and Beyond Burials, which provides funeral services in space, have already announced their readiness to use Orbiter.
According to Spacenews.com
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