Alba Orbital secures contract to develop ‘AlbaPod V3’, the next generation of pico-satellite deployers
A model of Alba Orbital’s last iteration of space proven pico-satellite deployer ‘AlbaPod V2’
Glasgow-based space startup has been awarded a £100,000 ‘SMART:SCOTLAND’ contract by Scottish Enterprise to enhance Alba’s current line of satellite deployers known as the ‘AlbaPod’
Alba Orbital today announced that they have secured £100,000 in funding from Scottish Enterprise to develop ‘AlbaPod V3’, the next generation of pico-satellite deployers. The project aims to optimise Alba Orbital’s existing line of ‘AlbaPod’ products and build on its in-space capabilities for the next iteration.
PocketQube satellites from smallest to largest: PION-1, UNICORN-1 and UNICORN-2D
Founded in 2012 by Tom Walkinshaw, the company designs, manufactures and launches the world's smallest commercial satellites known as ‘PocketQubes’. PocketQubes are tiny pocket-sized satellites, no bigger than rubik’s cubes, designed in response to the high barriers of space access.
The Scottish company has now launched more PocketQubes than any organisation worldwide, working with launch partners SpaceX and Rocket Lab, servicing clients including Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University and TU Delft.
Image of AlbaPod V2 in-orbit before deploying four satellites on board the ‘Alba Cluster X’ mission launched in May 2022.
AlbaPod was developed in Scotland by Glasgow-based Alba Orbital when it became clear to the developers of these ultra-small spacecraft that an adequate launch infrastructure did not exist. “It was obvious that client demand required an increase in picosatellite deployers, so we started work on the AlbaPod as we knew that this would provide more reliable and frequent launch opportunities.”, explains Tom Walkinshaw, CEO of Alba Orbital. “We have now won three Scottish SMART awards and we would like to thank Scottish Enterprise for their continued support”.
In December 2019, the AlbaPod was successfully launched to space and deployed six PocketQubes in low earth orbit, via an Electron rocket launch from Mahia, New Zealand. Dubbed by European Space Agency (ESA) as the ‘most advanced space proven PocketQube deployer’, the AlbaPod has served on three orbital missions with launch partners SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
Traditionally, only government agencies with a NASA-sized budget had the capabilities to send spacecraft to orbit. However, thanks to the continued miniaturisation of electronics and the work of Alba Orbital, smaller organisations are now able to launch their own satellites for as low as 25,000 Euro.
Following the company’s $3.4m seed round raise in 2021 with Y Combinator, Alba Orbital has rapidly scaled their launch services and development of their earth observation constellation. To find out more on how you could start your own turnkey space mission, get in touch with Alba Orbital’s launch team at contact@albaorbital.com 🚀