| The Exploration Company | |
| Industry: | Aerospace |
| Hq Location City: | Munich |
| Hq Location Country: | Germany |
| Products: | Nyx |
| Num Employees: | 200 |
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]
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]
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.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10] The company is once again one of the winners of the space component in July 2023 for its DEMARLUS project.[11]
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.[12]
The company was selected, along with Thales Alenia Space in May 2024, for ESA's Commercial Cargo program.[13] In June 2024, the company signed a contract with Vast Space for cargo missions.[14]
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.[15] 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]
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.
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]