Vector has secured a contract to launch a pair of PocketQube satellites developed by Scotland-based Alba Orbital and the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology.
The launch will be carried out at the Pacific Spaceport Complex: Alaska (PSCA) in Kodiak, US, later this year.
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It will be conducted using an Alba Orbital deployer (AlbaPOD) on the Vector-R launch vehicle.
The launch will include Alba Orbital’s Unicorn-2a satellite platform and Delft University of Technology’s Delfi-PQ1 spacecraft.
Vector CEO and co-founder Jim Cantrell said: “Launch continues to be one of the biggest challenges for our customers, and Vector’s dedicated launch services provide them with the ability to lower both risk and the cost associated with it.
“The PocketQube movement in the satellite industry is a perfect example of how entrepreneurs are coming together to remove as many barriers as possible for those looking to get to space, which aligns perfectly with Vector’s mission.”
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By GlobalDataAlba Orbital’s Unicorn-2 advanced 3p PocketQube satellite platform is designed to allow payloads with more demanding requirements to fly on a PocketQube, enabling satellite operators to save more than 50% on hardware and launch.
The company will use its 6p AlbaPod to deploy the Delfi-PQ1 satellite. It is designed to further confirm the capabilities of space technology miniaturisation through a standardised core platform.
Recently, Vector submitted its first launch application to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enable orbital launching from the PSCA.
Last month, the company announced an agreement with space mission provider Open Cosmos to reserve five orbital launches that are slated to be conducted between 2019 and 2023 on the Vector-R launch vehicle.
