Axient Space and Orbotic Systems Join Forces

Upcoming Launch to Combine Innovation with Space Sustainability

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, July 29, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Axient’s IGOR mission will host Orbotic Systems’ Deorbit Drag Device (D3) to further demonstrate D3’s ability to modulate spacecraft drag force while controlling orientation and orbital decay. Mission Relevance Deployment of D3 highlights the new FCC five year compliance rule for deorbiting spacecraft flying in low Earth orbit (LEO).

The FCC ‘5-Year Rule’ promises to address the dangers of space debris collisions and protect our assets in space. Going into effect this September, the five year deorbit rule requires all spacecraft operators to present a deorbit plan to the FCC prior to getting launch approval. Orbotic Systems’ D3 will accelerate and control the deorbit of IGOR using deployed surface area to increase drag and effects of atmospheric friction.

Axient’s Space Monkey team is poised to become creator and collaborator of CubeSat missions allowing space experiments to be conveniently achievable. Space Monkey serves the R&D community with on-time, on-cost bus development, which enables the greater purpose and utility of CubeSats for technology development and mission support. Space Monkey, is scheduled to launch IGOR , a 3U CubeSat, in Q4 2024 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

After launching aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket, IGOR will be deployed by Firefly’s Elytra orbital vehicle utilizing Xtenti’s FANTM-RiDE dispenser. The mission will perform a series of experiments to assess the stabilizing and pointing accuracy of magnetorquers on a 3U CubeSat.

“Members of Axient’s Space Monkey lab were pleased to work with personnel from Orbotic Systems on one of the easiest and most straight-forward payload integration procedures that we have done. For all future Space Monkey projects, we anticipate using Orbotic Systems’ D3 unit to comply with the FCC’s upcoming regulations for deorbit of spacecraft.” — David Rosprim, Space Monkey Lab Program Director

About Orbotic Systems

Orbotic Systems was created to advance human progress and research in low Earth orbit (LEO). Through innovative technology we address the growing threat of space debris and the need for more space situational awareness. With a focus on sustainability and safety, Orbotic Systems is at the forefront of efforts to maintain a cleaner and more secure orbital environment. Our design team is from NASA, University of Florida and Orbotic Systems. Orbotic Systems is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. For more information, please visit www.orboticsystems.com

About Axient LLC
Axient advances defense and civilian missions from aerospace to cyberspace with multi-domain test and analysis, mission engineering and operations, and advanced technologies. We partner with our customers to identify and analyze their most important challenges and design solutions that turn challenges into breakthroughs to accelerate assured performance. With extensive domain expertise in defense and aerospace, we rapidly develop mission-enabling technologies that allow customers to move at mission speed. To learn more about how Axient can accelerate possible for your organization, visit www.axientcorp.com.

Axient Space and Orbotic Systems Join Forces (einpresswire.com)