View source for Company:Alba Orbital


{{Infobox company
| name = Alba Orbital
| logo = 
| type = [[Social:Limited company|Limited company]]
| industry = Satellite Manufacture
| fate = 
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded = 5 October 2012 {{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
| founder = <!-- or: | founders = -->
| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| hq_location_city = Glasgow
| hq_location_country = United Kingdom
| key_people = Tom Walkinshaw
| products = Pocketqube Platforms and Components
| assets = £90,954
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent = 
| website = {{URL|http://www.albaorbital.com}}
}}
'''Alba Orbital''' is a Scottish company that specializes in building [[Engineering:PocketQube|PocketQube]] satellites and Albapod satellite deployment systems. Alba Orbital is the developer and manufacturer of the Unicorn-1<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unicorn 1 |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/unicorn-1.htm |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref> and Unicorn-2<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unicorn 2A, 2D, 2E |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/unicorn-2a.htm |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref> satellite platforms.

==Overview ==
Alba Orbital specializes in designing and building [[Engineering:PocketQube|PocketQube]] satellites. 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 2P satellite (5cm x 5cm x 10cm).<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/albaorbital-pushing-the-limits-of-space-development|title=Alba Orbital: pushing the limits of space development|last=Wired|magazine=Wired UK}}</ref>

==Launches==
Alba Orbital is a launch broker and has purchased capacity with several space companies, including [[Company:SpaceX|SpaceX]] and [[Company:Rocket Lab|Rocket Lab]], to launch PocketQube satellites into orbit.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Alba Cluster 3/4 info |url=http://www.albaorbital.com/alba-cluster-34-info |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=Alba Orbital |language=en-GB}}</ref> The company also hold contracts with the [[Organization:European Space Agency|European Space Agency]] for [[Engineering:ARTES|ARTES]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=ESA |title=ESA ARTES Contractors |url=https://artes.esa.int/contractors/alba-orbital-ltd}}</ref> These launches harbor clusters<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/17551624.scottish-satellite-firm-plans-second-pocketqube-launch-mission/|title=Scottish satellite firm plans second PocketQube launch mission|website=The National}}</ref> containing space for PocketQubes that are sold to teams wanting to launch pods. Every Alba Orbital flight uses Albapod deployers to release the clusters. These deployers come in two sizes: 6P and 96P.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} As of December 2023, Alba Orbital has successfully launched seven missions into [[Astronomy:Low Earth orbit|low Earth orbit]], while one mission failed before deployment on the first flight of [[Company:Launcher|Orbiter SN1]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Mission Name
! Date
! Launch Vehicle
! Payloads
! Customers
! Outcome
|-
! rowspan=5 |Alba Cluster 2
| rowspan=5 |6 December 2019
| rowspan=5 |[[Engineering:Electron (rocket)|Electron]]
| {{flagicon|HUN}} ATL-1
| BME
| rowspan=5 {{Success}}
|-
| {{flagicon|SPA}} FossaSat-1
| FOSSA Systems
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} NOOR 1A, 1B (Unicorn-2B, 2C)
| Stara Space
|-
| {{flagicon|HUN}} SMOG-P
| BME
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} TRSI-1
| ACME AtronOmatic
|-
! rowspan=5 |Alba Cluster 3
| rowspan=10 |13 January 2022
| rowspan=10 |[[Engineering:Falcon 9 Block 5|Falcon 9 Block 5]]
| {{flagicon|NED}} Delfi-PQ
| [[Organization:Delft University of Technology|TU Delft]]
| rowspan=10 {{Success}}
|-
| {{flagicon|SPA}} EASAT-2
| AMSAT EA
|-
| {{flagicon|TUR}} Grizu-263a
| ZBEU
|-
| {{flagicon|SPA}} HADES
| AMSAT EA
|-
| {{flagicon|ARG}} MDQube-SAT 1
| Innova Space
|-
! rowspan=5 |Alba Cluster 4
| {{flagicon|BRA}} PION-BR1
| PION Labs
|-
| {{flagicon|ISR}} SATLLA 2A, 2B
| Ariel University
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} Tartan Artibeus-1 (Unicorn-2TA1)
| [[Organization:Carnegie Mellon University|CMU]]
|-
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-1
| Alba Orbital
|-
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2A, 2D, 2E
| Alba Orbital
|-
! rowspan=3 |Alba Cluster X
| rowspan=3 |2 May 2022
| rowspan=3 |[[Engineering:Electron (rocket)|Electron]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} MyRadar-1
| ACME AtronOmatic
| rowspan=3 {{Success}}
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} TRSI 2, 3
| ACME AtronOmatic
|-
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2F
| Alba Orbital
|-
! rowspan="2" | Alba Cluster (?)
| rowspan="2" | 3 January 2023
| rowspan="2" | [[Engineering:Falcon 9 Block 5|Falcon 9 Block 5]] / [[Company:Launcher|Orbiter]]
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2G
| Alba Orbital
| rowspan="2" {{failure}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.launcherspace.com/updates/orbiter-sn1-mission-update |title=Orbiter SN1 Mission Update |work=Launcher |date=16 February 2023 |access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2H
|Alba Orbital
|-
! rowspan=6 |Alba Cluster 6
| rowspan=6 |12 June 2023
| rowspan=6 |[[Engineering:Falcon 9 Block 5|Falcon 9 Block 5]] / ION SCV
| {{flagicon|TUR}} Istanbul
| Hello Space
| rowspan=6 {{Success}}
|-
| {{flagicon|HUN}} MRC-100
| BME
|-
| {{flagicon|ROM}} ROM-2
| ICHSB
|-
| {{flagicon|ISR}} Satlla-2I
| Ariel University
|-
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2I
| Alba Orbital
|-
| {{flagicon|ESP}} URESAT-1
| AMSAT-EA
|-
! rowspan=5 |Alba Cluster 7
| rowspan=5 |11 November 2023
| rowspan=5 |[[Engineering:Falcon 9 Block 5|Falcon 9 Block 5]] / ION SCV
| {{flagicon|ESP}} Hydra-1 / HADES-D
| Hydra Space / AMSAT EA
| rowspan=5 |
|-
| {{flagicon|ROM}} ROM-3
| FRR
|-
| {{flagicon|MYS}} SpaceANT-D
| SpaceIn
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} Tartan Artibeus-2
| [[Organization:Carnegie Mellon University|CMU]]
|-
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2J, 2K
| Alba Orbital
|-
! rowspan=2 |Alba Cluster 8
| rowspan=2 |1 December 2023
| rowspan=2 |[[Engineering:Falcon 9 Block 5|Falcon 9 Block 5]] / ION SCV
| {{flagicon|ARG}} MDQubesat-1
| Innova Space
| rowspan=2 {{Success}}
|-
| {{flagicon|UK}} Unicorn-2L, 2M, 2N
| Alba Orbital
|-
|}

==Funding==
In 2021, Alba Orbital participated in the [[Finance:Startup company|startup]] accelerator program Y Combinator, located in Silicon Valley, {{wipe|United States}}. They raised US$3.4 million after completing the program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/business/scots-firm-behind-pocket-size-satellites-takes-aim-at-world-record-after-silicon-valley-funding-3358953|title = Scots firm behind pocket-size satellites takes aim at world record after Silicon Valley funding| date=26 August 2021 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Engineering:PocketQube|PocketQube]] – The satellite format Alba Orbital specializes in building

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.albaorbital.com Company website]


[[Category:Spacecraft manufacturers]]
[[Category:Space technology]]
[[Category:Companies (Engineering)]]
[[Category:Companies]]

{{Sourceattribution|Alba Orbital}}