Exolaunch

vertical:
Launch agregator

segment:
Hardware for separation of SC form LV. OTV manufacturer.

company website:
https://exolaunch.com/

ownership_type:
private

country of registration:
Germany

Exolaunch was established in 2010 by Dmitry Bogdanov as a spin-off from the Department of Space Technology at the Technical University of Berlin. Bogdanov is known for his close ties with the Russian Federation, especially with Roscosmos, where he has acquaintances with top management (for example, the joint patent dedicated to CubeSat Deployer with Vsevolod Kryukovskiy, head of Roscosmos’ launch programs).

The company offers integration services (mounting a satellite on a launch vehicle) and provides the clients with related mechanisms – fasteners, separation systems for both single missions (small satellites), and cluster launches (deployment of cubesats). The first rideshare cluster was delivered by the company in 2013. To date, Exolaunch has delivered 210 smallsats into orbit through 14 missions.

Exolaunch is also planning to provide services for the satellite last-mile transportation, in-space logistics, and space debris removal. The company’s space tug is called Reliant, which will be capable of lifting a satellite’s orbit from around 250-300 kilometers to 550 kilometers in one hour. The Reliant is expected to come in two configurations: Standard (for altitude changes) and Pro (for all other capabilities). Exolaunch space tugs are compatible with any launch vehicle, primarily targeting Falcon 9 under SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program. In 2023, the company plans to start testing a Reliant Pro configuration.

All the company services are available with such launch vehicles as Soyuz-2, Soyuz-ST, Electron, and Falcon 9, Exolaunch has also announced a partnership with New Space India Limited (LV PSLV) and Virgin Orbit (Launcher One).  The company’s customers include Spire Global, Planet, Nanoavionics, ICEYE, Satellogic, and Tyvak.

It is noteworthy that the company’s technical expertise and top management mostly consist of Russians who often conduct flights with business purposes to Russia and have ties with the Russian government entities such as Roscosmos (through its subsidiary Glavkosmos launch services) and Skolkovo fund (through the ties of the company’s VP Jeane Medvedeva with it).

As a consequence of these ties, it is possible that the critical space technologies can be transferred to the Russian Federation. Moreover, because of the company’s ties with Roscosmos, Exolaunch may be affected by sanctions as one of the Russian company’s partners.

Connection with Russia
Russian founder, Russian TOP management
TOP projects:

ESA Commercial Space Transportation Services Program

TOP Client:

Most valuable are constellation operators:
1. Satellogic
2. Planet
3. ICEYE
4. Spire
5. EnduroSat
6. Synspective
7. Astro Digital
8. GeoOptics
9. UnseenLabs
10. Sen
11. Kepler Communications

TOP partners:

1. SpaceX
2. Glavkosmos
3. DLR

Suppliers:

Collecting data
Present on marketplaces:

SatSearch
SatCatalog
Cubesat.org

Participation in exhibitions, seminars and conferences:

IAC 25.10-29.10.21
SmallSat – 08.02-11.02.2021
SmallSat – February 03.02-06.02.2020
SpaceTech Expo Berlin 15-17.11.22
14th European Space Conference Jan’22

Grants

Collecting data
Subsidiaries / sister companies:

German Orbital Systems
SIA Exolaunch (Latvia)
Exolaunch USA

Link for product on the marketplace:

satsearch.co/suppliers/exolaunch