Company:Alba Orbital
From HandWiki
| Type | Limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite Manufacture |
| Founded | 5 October 2012 [1] |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , United Kingdom |
Key people | Tom Walkinshaw |
| Products | Pocketqube Platforms and Components |
| Website | www |
Overview
Alba Orbital is a Scottish company that specializes in designing and building PocketQube satellites and Albapod[2] satellite deployers. The company has developed two satellite platforms. The Unicorn-1 platform is a 1P (5cm x 5cm x 5cm) PocketQube satellite, while its larger counterpart, Unicorn-2, is a 3P satellite (5cm x 5cm x 15cm).[3] Albapod deployers come in two sizes: 6P and 96P.[4]
History
The company was founded by Tom Walkinshaw in 2012.[5]
Earth Observation Service
As of 2025 Alba have started publishing images collected on their Unicorn-2[6] satellite constellation.
Launch Broker and Rideshare Services
Alba Orbital a satellite launch broker, purchasing capacity from launch service providers, including SpaceX and Rocket Lab.[7] to carry Albapod deployer clusters[8][9] to space. The capacity within the clusters is then used to carry Alba Orbital satellites as well as other PocketQube payloads to space in a rideshare arrangement.
The company holds contracts with the European Space Agency for ARTES.[10]
Interstellar Communication[11] Holdings signed a rideshare agreement with Alba Orbital to assist in the launch of its icMercury[12] PocketQube satellite via SpaceX to be launched in early 2025.[13]
| Mission Name | Date | Launch Vehicle | Payloads | Customers | Deployment Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alba Cluster 2 | 6 December 2019[14][15] | Electron |  ATL-1
|
BME | Success |
 FossaSat-1
|
FOSSA Systems | ||||
 NOOR 1A, 1B (Unicorn-2B, 2C)
|
Stara Space | ||||
| SMOG-P
|
BME | ||||
| TRSI-1
|
ACME AtronOmatic | ||||
| Alba Cluster 3 | 13 January 2022[16] | Falcon 9 Block 5 |  Delfi-PQ
|
TU Delft | Success |
| EASAT-2
|
AMSAT EA | ||||
 Grizu-263a
|
ZBEU | ||||
| HADES
|
AMSAT EA | ||||
 MDQube-SAT 1
|
Innova Space | ||||
| Alba Cluster 4 |  PION-BR1
|
PION Labs | |||
 SATLLA 2A, 2B
|
Ariel University | ||||
| Tartan Artibeus-1 (Unicorn-2TA1)
|
CMU | ||||
 Unicorn-1
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| Unicorn-2A, 2D, 2E
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| Alba Cluster X | 2 May 2022[17] | Electron | MyRadar-1
|
ACME AtronOmatic | Success |
| TRSI 2, 3
|
ACME AtronOmatic | ||||
| Unicorn-2F
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| Alba Cluster (?) | 3 January 2023 | Falcon 9 Block 5 / Orbiter | Unicorn-2G
|
Alba Orbital | Failure[18] |
| Unicorn-2H
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| Alba Cluster 6 | 12 June 2023[19] | Falcon 9 Block 5 / ION SCV | Istanbul
|
Hello Space | Success |
| MRC-100
|
BME | ||||
 ROM-2
|
ICHSB | ||||
| Satlla-2I
|
Ariel University | ||||
| Unicorn-2I
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| URESAT-1
|
AMSAT-EA | ||||
| Alba Cluster 7 | 11 November 2023[20] | Falcon 9 Block 5 / ION SCV | Hydra-1 / HADES-D
|
Hydra Space / AMSAT EA | Success |
| ROM-3
|
FRR | ||||
 SpaceANT-D
|
SpaceIn | ||||
| Tartan Artibeus-2
|
CMU | ||||
| Unicorn-2J, 2K
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| Alba Cluster 8 | 1 December 2023[21] | Falcon 9 Block 5 / ION SCV | MDQubesat-1
|
Innova Space | Success |
| Unicorn-2L, 2M, 2N
|
Alba Orbital | ||||
| Alba Cluster 9 | 14 January 2025[22] | Falcon 9 Block 5 / ION SCV | Skylink-1
|
Hello Space | Success |
| Skylink-2
|
Hello Space | ||||
 HYPE
|
AGH University | ||||
 PROMETHEUS-1
|
Minho University | ||||
 Poquito
|
University of Luxembourg | ||||
| Hades-R
|
Hydra Space | ||||
| Hades-T
|
Hydra Space | ||||
| Alba Cluster 10 | 15 March 2025[23] | Falcon 9 Block 5 / ION SCV | Unicorn-2O, 2P, 2Q
|
Alba Orbital | Success |
| Hades-ICM
|
HYDRA SPACE / IC MERCURY / SMART IR | ||||
| Hades-W
|
Hydra Space |
Funding
In 2021, Alba Orbital participated in the startup accelerator program Y Combinator, located in Silicon Valley, United States. They raised US$3.4 million after completing the program.[24]
See also
- PocketQube – The satellite format Alba Orbital specializes in building
References
- ↑ "Alba Orbital Limited". https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC434130.
- ↑ "AlbaPod: The Most Advanced Space-proven PocketQube Deployer". 30 November 2020. https://connectivity.esa.int/news/albapod-most-advanced-spaceproven-pocketqube-deployer.
- ↑ Wired. "Alba Orbital: pushing the limits of space development". Wired UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/albaorbital-pushing-the-limits-of-space-development.
- ↑ "Unicorn-2 Mission Ideas". https://www.albaorbital.com/deployers.
- ↑ Parsonson, Andrew (2023-10-03). "Alba Orbital Move into new PocketQube Manufacturing Facility" (in en-US). https://europeanspaceflight.com/alba-orbital-move-into-new-pocketqube-manufacturing-facility/.
- ↑ "Unicorn-2 Images". Alba Orbital. https://www.albaorbital.com/unicorn-images-from-orbit.
- ↑ "Rocket Lab to Launch Four PocketQube Satellites for Alba Orbital" (in en). https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-to-launch-four-pocketqube-satellites-for-alba-orbital/.
- ↑ "Scottish satellite firm plans second PocketQube launch mission". 5 April 2019. https://www.thenational.scot/news/17551624.scottish-satellite-firm-plans-second-pocketqube-launch-mission/.
- ↑ Brothers, Eric (19 February 2022). "Alba Orbital launches small satellites from 3D-printed deployment devices". https://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/news/alba-orbital-launches-small-satellites-3d-printed-deployment-devices/.
- ↑ ESA. "ESA ARTES Contractors". https://artes.esa.int/contractors/alba-orbital-ltd.
- ↑ "Interstellar Communication - Investment Company & Financial Advisory Services in New York". https://dgipl.com/.
- ↑ "Your Personal Messenger to Space | icMercury" (in en-US). 2023-05-26. https://icmercury.com/.
- ↑ "Interstellar Communication Holdings announces agreement with Alba Orbital for icMercury launch – SatNews". https://news.satnews.com/2024/08/18/interstellar-communication-holdings-announces-agreement-with-alba-orbital-for-icmercury-launch/.
- ↑ Mission: "Running out of Fingers". Rocket Lab.
- ↑ "Next Generation Electron Booster on the Pad for Rocket Lab's 10th Mission". Rocket Lab USA (Press release). Huntington Beach, California: Rocket Lab. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024.
- ↑ Clark, Stephen (13 January 2022). "SpaceX launches 105 customer satellites on third Transporter rideshare mission". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/01/13/spacex-launches-105-customer-satellites-on-third-transporter-rideshare-mission/.
- ↑ "Rocket Lab Successfully Deploys 34 Satellites and Catches Rocket Booster Returning from Space with Helicopter" (Press release). Long Beach, California: Rocket Lab. 2 May 2022. Archived from the original on 20 June 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2022 – via Business Wire.
- ↑ "Orbiter SN1 Mission Update". Launcher. 16 February 2023. https://www.launcherspace.com/updates/orbiter-sn1-mission-update.
- ↑ "Starlink 5–11 launches from Florida as astronomy impacts in focus". NASASpaceFlight.com. June 11, 2023. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/06/starlink-5-11-launch/.
- ↑ "SpaceX to launch 90 payloads on Transporter-9 Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg – Spaceflight Now" (in en-US). https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/11/11/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-90-payloads-on-transporter-9-falcon-9-mission-from-vandenberg/.
- ↑ "SpaceX launches Irish, South Korean satellites and lands its 250th rocket". https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-ireland-south-korea-satellite-webcast.
- ↑ Lentz, Danny (January 14, 2025). "SpaceX Transporter-12 launches more than 100 satellites" (in en-US). NASASpaceflight. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/01/transporter-12/.
- ↑ "SpaceX launches 74 satellites to orbit, lands Falcon 9 rocket for the 400th time (video)". 14 March 2025. https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-74-satellites-transporter-13-rideshare-launch.
- ↑ "Scots firm behind pocket-size satellites takes aim at world record after Silicon Valley funding". 26 August 2021. https://www.scotsman.com/business/scots-firm-behind-pocket-size-satellites-takes-aim-at-world-record-after-silicon-valley-funding-3358953.
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