Orbex

Orbex
Name	Orbex
Type	Private
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	2015
Founders	Chris Larmour, Joanne Wheeler
Headquarters	Forres, Scotland
Key people	Chris Larmour (CEO), Joanne Wheeler (COO)
Products	Prime launch vehicle, rocket engines, composite structures
Employees	100–200

Orbex is a private aerospace company focused on the development of small satellite launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and integrated launch services. The firm aims to serve the growing market for dedicated small launch from polar and sun-synchronous orbits, positioning itself within the European commercial space sector alongside entities in the United Kingdom, Norway, and the European Union. Orbex combines technologies drawn from European research institutions, regional aerospace suppliers, and private venture capital to build an environmentally minded launch system.

History

Orbex was established in the mid-2010s amid a wave of small launch startups influenced by successes from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and the smallsat revolution driven by companies such as Planet Labs and Spire Global. Early corporate milestones include seed financing from Scottish investment groups, strategic partnerships with research centres like the European Space Agency and UK government initiatives including the UK Space Agency. The company expanded its engineering teams by recruiting specialists from legacy aerospace firms such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and research universities including the University of Strathclyde and University of Glasgow. Orbex later secured commercial contracts and development funding through collaborations with industrial partners in the United Kingdom and across Europe.

Company and Operations

Orbex operates as a vertically integrated developer of launch vehicles and propulsion hardware, maintaining in-house capabilities for aerodynamic design, composite manufacturing, propulsion development, and avionics integration. Management traces technical lineage to propulsion programmes at Reaction Engines Limited and propulsion research at Cranfield University. Corporate operations encompass supply-chain relationships with suppliers in Germany, France, Norway, and Sweden as well as cooperation with launch range authorities such as Spaceport Cornwall stakeholders and regulatory bodies including the Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The firm has emphasized local economic development in Moray and partnerships with regional development agencies.

Launch Vehicles and Technology

The company's primary vehicle design uses a light-class two-stage configuration intended to place small satellites into low Earth orbit, particularly sun-synchronous and polar missions. Propulsion architecture draws on lessons from liquid rocket engine programs and hybrid propulsion research conducted at Imperial College London and University of Oxford laboratories. Tankage and structural components make use of advanced carbon-fiber composites produced in collaboration with specialist manufacturers formerly supplying Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space. Guidance, navigation, and control systems integrate heritage navigation solutions from suppliers connected to programmes like Ariane 6 avionics stacks and smallsat bus providers such as GomSpace. Thermal management and stage separation systems were developed with input from engineers who worked on projects at ESA’s ESTEC and defence primes including BAE Systems.

Facilities and Launch Sites

Orbex established primary engineering and manufacturing facilities in the northeast of Scotland, leveraging access to regional ports and transportation corridors connected to the North Sea industrial cluster. For launch operations, the company pursued use of European polar launch sites, entering agreements and planning activities with operators at Spaceport Cornwall and investigating ranges in Norway and the Shetland Islands to support high-inclination trajectories. Orbex’s testing infrastructure includes static-fire stands and composite curing facilities integrated with local research hubs such as Heriot-Watt University and Robert Gordon University. The company also coordinated with national air traffic authorities and maritime stakeholders around the UK Department for Transport and regional harbourmasters for range safety and logistics.

Commercial Activities and Clients

Orbex targets commercial and institutional customers in the small satellite market, marketing dedicated launch services for Earth observation constellations, scientific payloads, and technology demonstration satellites. Prospective client profiles include companies similar to Planet Labs, Spire Global, and academic institutions like University College London and Imperial College London seeking bespoke orbital insertion. Orbex pursued sales channels through European procurement frameworks and commercial partnerships with satellite integrators, smallsat manufacturers, and launch brokers who previously worked with Arianespace and Spaceflight Industries. The company’s commercial strategy balanced rideshare alternatives offered by operators such as SpaceX with the market demand for tailored orbital planes and rapid manifesting for operators across Europe, Africa, and the Nordics.

Regulation, Safety, and Environmental Impact

Orbex engaged with a regulatory environment shaped by national aviation regulators, maritime exclusion zone authorities, and international frameworks including provisions from European Space Agency cooperation and export control regimes influenced by UK Export Control. Safety practices drew on standards used by established launch providers and aerospace integrators like Airbus and Thales, incorporating independent range safety verification and vehicle reliability testing. The company emphasized reduced environmental impact through propellant choices and reusability concepts inspired by studies at Cranfield University and environmental assessments coordinated with agencies such as the Environment Agency (England) and Scottish environmental bodies. Orbex communicated environmental mitigation plans to stakeholders, addressing concerns about coastal launch footprints and maritime safety in coordination with naval authorities like the Royal Navy for range clearances.

Category:Private spaceflight companies