London, 26 October 2023.- Terran Orbital Corporation, a satellite bus manufacturer based in Florida, announced on the 25th of October that its subsidiary Tyvak International has been chosen as prime contractor under a $4.7 million European Space Agency (ESA) contract. Under the contract the company will be responsible for proximity operation and in-orbit servicing mission that will deploy a nanosatellite spacecraft from Space Rider, the European uncrewed robotic laboratory.
Space Rider intends to show technology demonstration and benefit research in pharmaceutics, biomedicine, biology, and physical science. At the end of the mission Space Rider will return to Earth with its payloads and land on a runway to be unloaded and refurbished for another flight. The deployed nanosatellite will perform proximity operations manoeuvres around Space Rider, demonstrating in-orbit servicing capabilities.
“Terran Orbital is honored to be selected once again for a prime contract with the European Space Agency,” said Marc Bell, Terran Orbital Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer. “Using space technology for research in areas, such as proximity operations and in-orbit servicing, will be a huge benefit for our partners and the protection of precious and strategic orbital assets. I am excited to see Tyvak International s.r.l. in the forefront.”
The contract is in partnership with a consortium of Italian industries and research institutions, including Polytechnic University of Turin, the University of Padova, and StellarProject SRL.
