Aerospacelab is all about making decisions based on evidence. A relative newcomer to the commercial space arena, the company started in 2018 and has grown substantially since with the goal of being the European leader in Geospatial Intelligence and small satellite platforms. Once their Earth-observation satellites are on orbit, they will use artificial intelligence and machine learning with their satellite data to provide insights that will improve decision-making. They will be launching their first satellite, ARTHUR, on SXRS-5 / Transporter-2.

ARTHUR will pave the way for future missions. Their future satellite constellations will have different types of instruments, on-board a standardized smallsat platform. For instance, the first constellation to be developed is planned to have a resolution down to 50 cm per pixel. With this technology, customers will have options for how to best utilize Earth observation data. The upcoming SXRS-5 mission represents their Risk Reduction Flight, and the objective is to put into service their first high resolution optical payload. This mission will give flight heritage for the in-house developed equipment, and verify the capability of the micro-propulsion system to maneuver the spacecraft.

When it came to choosing a launch service provider, Spaceflight was a natural fit. They wanted to work with people like themselves, solution-oriented innovators.

“Spaceflight is the leader in the rideshare business,” said Benoît Deper, CEO of Aerospacelab. “They have the longest track-record in the industry and we fully trust their ability to deliver on their work. Their unmatched experience is a major selling point that brought some undeniable expertise with it.”

We are expecting great things from Aerospacelab and ARTHUR. The SXRS-5 mission is just the beginning.