The Exploration Company Explained

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]

History

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]

Hardware: Nyx spacecraft

Design

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]

Development

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.

Purpose

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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: . IAF : The Exploration Company GmbH . 2023-04-09 . www.iafastro.org . en.
  2. Web site: Hogan Lovells advises various investors in the €40 million fundraising of The Exploration Company . 2023-04-09 . www.hoganlovells.com . en.
  3. Web site: The Exploration Company . 2023-04-09 . EU-Startups . en-US.
  4. Web site: Alamalhodaei . Aria . 2022-07-28 . The Exploration Company is developing a brand new reusable orbital spacecraft . 2023-04-09 . . en-US.
  5. Web site: Root . Al . SpaceX Isn't the Only Space Company That Can Raise Money . 2023-04-09 . . en-US.
  6. Web site: Rainbow . Jason . 2023-02-02 . European startup gets $44 million for space station transportation vehicles . 2023-04-09 . . en-US.
  7. Web site: fr . Damien Copitet . The Exploration Company lève 40 millions d’euros . 19 March 2023 . www.planetegrandesecoles.com . 7 August 2023. .
  8. Web site: fr . Vincent Lamigeon . Nyx, la capsule spatiale européenne qui veut concurrencer SpaceX . 1 February 2023 . . 7 August 2023. .
  9. Web site: 2023-05-29 . Signature of industrial contracts for the consolidation of the common building blocks for future European reusable launch systems . . 2023-06-11 . en.
  10. Web site: fr . France 2030 : Présentation des premiers résultats du volet spatial . 6 October 2022 . www.gouvernement.fr . PDF . 13 September 2023. .
  11. Web site: fr . Présentation des résultats du volet spatial de France 2030 . 5 July 2023 . www.gouvernement.fr . PDF . 13 September 2023. .
  12. Web site: fr . Michel Cabirol . Spatial : Et le jour de gloire est arrivé pour The Exploration Company . 12 September 2023 . . 13 September 2023. .
  13. Web site: Foust . Jeff . 2024-05-22 . ESA selects Thales Alenia Space and The Exploration Company for commercial cargo program . 2024-05-23 . SpaceNews . en-US.
  14. Web site: Parsonson . Andrew . 2024-06-11 . Vast Contracts The Exploration Company for Cargo Mission . 2024-06-14 . European Spaceflight . en-US.
  15. Web site: Parsonson . Andrew . 2022-02-23 . The Exploration Company aims to offer Europe independent access to space . 2023-04-09 . European Spaceflight . en-US.
  16. Web site: fr . Hassan Meddah . The Exploration Company, la start-up franco-allemande qui veut révolutionner la logistique spatiale . 1 February 2023 . . 7 August 2023.
  17. Web site: FinSMEs . 2023-02-01 . The Exploration Company Raises €40M in Series A Funding . 2023-04-09 . FinSMEs . en-US.
  18. Web site: Kulu . Erik . The Exploration Company - Factories in Space . 2023-04-09 . www.factoriesinspace.com . en.
  19. Web site: 2023-02-01 . Germany-based The Exploration Company bags €40.5M from EQT Ventures, others to advance space democratisation efforts Silicon Canals . 2023-04-09 . en-US.
  20. Web site: NYX The Exploration Company . 2023-04-09 . BSGN . en-GB.
  21. Web site: The Exploration Company . 2023-04-09 . en.
  22. Web site: 2023-02-01 . SpaceX challenger raises €40m to build Europe's first reusable rocket . 2023-04-09 . Sifted . en-US.
  23. Web site: Neuhauser . Alan . 2023-02-01 . The Exploration Company raises €40M for green space capsule . 2023-04-09 . Axios . en.
  24. Web site: The Exploration Company Space Impulse . 2023-04-09 . app.spaceimpulse.com . en.
  25. Web site: Garrett Reim . The Exploration Company Raises €40m For Reusable Space Capsule Aviation Week Network . 2023-04-09 . Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  26. Web site: The Exploration Company Selects Benchmark Space Systems Propulsion System To Power its 'Mission Possible' Demonstrator Flight in 2024 . 2023-04-09 . www.benchmarkspacesystems.com . 14 October 2022 . en.
  27. Web site: fr . Alexandre Laurent . Espace : The Exploration Company veut diviser par 4 le prix de la logistique spatiale . 20 January 2023 . www.placeco.fr . 7 August 2023. .
  28. Web site: en . The Exploration Company Secures €40 Million Funding . 2 February 2023 . Spacewatch Global . 24 June 2023.
  29. Web site: de . Larissa Holzki . Raumfahrt: Raumschiff-Start-up sammelt 40 Millionen Euro ein . 1 February 2023 . . 2023-04-09.