D-Orbit is a private aerospace company and a market leader in the orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) sector, commonly referred to as space tugs. Headquartered in Fino Mornasco, Italy, near Lake Como, the company operates globally with subsidiaries in Portugal, the UK, the US, and a joint venture in the US (D-Orbit USA). Since launching its ION Satellite Carrier in September 2020, D-Orbit has successfully deployed satellites for numerous customers, including:

• Planet Labs
• EnduroSat
• Elecnor Deimos
• University of Southern California
• SatRevolution (Poland)
• Kleos Space

D-Orbit has also operated payloads for companies like HPS (Germany), Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), and Cysec SA (Switzerland). The ION platform features a customizable 64U satellite dispenser, accommodating various CubeSat configurations.

 

Innovative Satellite Deployment Capabilities

The ION Satellite Carrier offers:

• Flexible Satellite Deployment: Release of hosted satellites individually, with the ability to adjust orbital parameters between deployments.
• Cost-Effective Solutions: Reducing time from launch to operations while minimizing constellation launch expenses.
• Payload Hosting: Support for miniature CubeSats weighing only a few kilograms.
  

 

Commitment to Space Innovation

D-Orbit’s proprietary space logistics technologies and transportation solutions are designed to accelerate the growth of the space economy while promoting sustainable and profitable space operations.

 

Historical Milestones

• 2011: Founded by Luca Rossettini (CEO) and Renato Panesi (COO) with an initial focus on developing a decommissioning motor for satellites and launcher stages.
• 2015: Partial funding by the EU’s Horizon 2020 program for the D3 (D-Orbit Decommissioning Device) project.
• 2017: Began developing the ION Satellite Carrier.
• 2020: Launched the inaugural commercial ION mission, deploying 12 SuperDove satellites from Planet Labs.
• 2021: Successfully deployed SmallSats for Planet Labs and hosted payloads for ICAS Automazione and IAC aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-1 mission.
• 2022: Planned to go public via a SPAC with a valuation of $1.4 billion (later canceled) and awarded €1.95 million through ESA’s Boost! program.
• 2024: Secured €100 million in Series-C funding from Marubeni Corporation, Avantgarde, CDP Venture Capital SGR, Seraphim Space, United Ventures, Indaco Venture Partners, Neva SGR SpA, and others.

 

Notable Missions

• August 16, 2024: Launched ION SCV-012 ‘Magnificent Monica’ dispenser on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying:
  
  – 9x 1/3U CubeSats for PICo-IoT (Apogeo Space, Italy)
  – Hosted payloads for edge computing and a plasma thrusterA 3U CubeSat for AAC Clyde Space (Sweden)

 

Achievements and Partnerships

D-Orbit is an alumnus of the European Space Agency’s incubator, ESA BIC Portugal, and collaborated on the Project Sunrise active debris removal initiative. The company’s innovative solutions continue to make them a trusted partner for leading space organizations and commercial satellite operators worldwide.

For more information on D-Orbit’s missions, technologies, and services, visit their official website or contact their global offices.

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Resources

www.dorbit.space
www.eoportal.org
www.crunchbase.com
www.spacex.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.arianespace.com
www.rocketlabusa.com