Alba Orbital and SAB co-ordinate the first ever European launch of PocketQube satellites on board Vega rocket
Agreement includes the launch of 6 AlbaPod pico-satellite deployers on VV25 and VV26 missions
August 24, 2022 – Alba Orbital Inc., which offers the lowest cost turnkey access to Space using PocketQubes, and SAB Launch Services S.r.l. (SAB LS) today announced the signature of an agreement to fly six AlbaPod pico-satellite deployers, and respective PocketQubes, on Arianespace Vega missions VV25 and VV26. This agreement facilitates the first ever PocketQube launch from Europe, using Arianespace’s Vega launch vehicle to deliver them to orbit.
PocketQubes are the world’s smallest commercial satellites, measuring at 5x5x5cm with a mass of 250g per unit - no bigger than a rubik’s cube. These tiny satellites are bringing down the barriers to space access, as their small form factor facilitates more affordable launches for smaller organisations compared to cubesats.
“We’ve witnessed the demand for PocketQube launches skyrocket after every successful mission we’ve flown”, said Tom Walkinshaw, CEO and Founder of Alba Orbital. “We’re thrilled to be working with SAB on VV25 and VV26 Vega missions, accelerating our launch cadence to provide a reliable quarterly flight schedule for our rideshare customers”
Italy-based SAB is part of SAB Group and provides launch services on European launchers, including Vega and Vega C multi-payload missions.
“We are stoked to be providing the launch for the first pocket cube deployer ever to be launched on Vega”, commented Marco Mariani, CEO of SAB Launch Services. “For us, Alba Orbital is becoming a strategic partner, with a significant number of hardware on multiple launches. This launch highlights the flexibility of our end-to-end launch services and positions SAB in the forefront of a market populated by increasing numbers of smallsats and microsats”.
Alba Orbital continues to trailblaze in the field of pico-satellite engineering, having now become the world leading PocketQube rideshare company with the most PocketQube satellites in-orbit. The Y-Combinator backed company has successfully launched a total of 23 satellites to orbit over three missions with launch partners, SpaceX and Rocket Lab, including their own fleet of earth imaging spacecraft. The upcoming Vega launches will mark a significant milestone in European Spaceflight history, as this will be the very first time PocketQubes have launched from European soil.
SAB-LS has a leading position in the European launch service market dedicated to smallsats with four successful missions accomplished launching institutional as well as commercial nanosatellites from International customers.
This agreement comes after the success of the Vega C maiden flight. The partnership between SAB and Alba Orbital highlights the modularity of the SSMS Dispenser on Vega, which is a modular structure that can be seamlessly configured in order to be adapted to the specific satellite aggregate. With the SSMS dispenser, clients have access to increased flexibility through a diverse launch schedule with multiple launch opportunities within a year, offering more orbits, different inclinations, and more.
The next Vega C missions are planned before the end of 2022. In early 2023 the first Vega C rideshare mission with the SSMS Dispenser will be launched, hosting a vast aggregate of mini and micro satellites as well as CubeSats.
About Alba Orbital Inc.
Alba Orbital (UK, USA, Germany) is the world’s leading PocketQube satellite manufacturer and launch broker. Alba is a vertically integrated NewSpace company ‘democratising access to space’, providing turnkey solutions from advanced pico-satellite platforms, low-cost launch opportunities, and ground station services. Alba has worked with over 30 customers across three continents, including prestigious clients such as Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University and TU Delft.
For more information visit www.albaorbital.com or get in touch at contact@albaorbital.com.
About SAB Launch Services
SAB Launch Services S.r.l. (SAB-LS) is a company part of SAB group offering launch services on European Launchers for all kind of Small Satellites. SAB-LS offers “end to end” services including launch procurement, separation system procurement, integration activities of the satellite on the launch vehicle structure, pre- and post-launch support. Due to the flexible and direct access to launch capacity afforded by the SAB-LS partnership with Arianespace, SAB-LS is the key European firm serving Nanosatellite and Microsatellites customers looking to launch on European vehicles.
For more information, visit https://www.sablaunchservices.com/.
Media Contact:
Caius Reza, Lead Business Development Executive
caius.reza@albaorbital.com, +447476029614