British aerospace firmOrbex已宣布关闭4640万美元的C融资回合。
Orbex’s Prime rocket, which is powered by a 3D printed engine, is set to become the first launched from the UK’s upcoming Space Hub, once opened in Sutherland, Scotland. Using its newfound capital, raised via an investment led by theScottish National Investment Bank, the firm plans to “scale up its resources” ahead of launch. The raise also sees it unlock a further $100 million in funding for future projects.
“We´re delighted to have closed this new funding round,” said Orbex CEO, Chris Larmour. “Orbex has made significant progress to get to this point, with the invention of ground-breaking, innovative technology, the rapid development and testing of the launch vehicle, the expansion of our manufacturing footprint in the UK and Denmark, the creation of the UK´s first orbital spaceport in mainland Scotland, and the growth in customers from the UK, Europe and America.”
Orbex’s Prime micro launcher
Though Orbex was founded in 2015, it didn’t exit stealth mode until July 2018, when it broke cover with an announcement that it had raised $40 million in public and private equity. Since then, the company has agreed a launch sharing agreement with U.S. aerospace competitorRocket Lab, which will see its Prime rockets launched from Scotland’s Space Hub.
Orbex的19米高的两阶段微型发射器旨在推动有效载荷，例如重达180 kilos的卫星进入极地轨道。每种火箭都由七个轻巧的推进系统供电，这些系统是单件式制造的。最初被称为'world’s largest 3D printed rocket engine，’并通过SLM Solutions技术，这些以生物燃料为动力的设备的碳足迹比基于化石燃料的竞争对手小96％。
To accelerate the process of producing the Prime’s engines, Orbex commissionedAMCM发展欧洲最大的工业3D打印机in February 2021. Through the project, AMCM has set out to deliver a printing suite, complete with post-processing gear and ‘machine vision’ systems, that will facilitate the printing of more than 35 large-scale rocket engine and main stage turbo pump systems every year.
Priming for a first UK launch
Space Hub Sutherland在苏格兰大陆的北海岸开业后，将成为英国的首届Operations SpacePort，发射公司将将商业有效载荷发射到低空定向轨道上。今年早些时候，宣布Orbex的Prime Rocket将是新网站首次推出的产品，并申请了一个UK Civil Aviation Authoritylaunch license in early-2022.
Having unveiled its Prime launch vehicle in its final form, Orbex is now performing integration tests, including the testing of its propellant tanks and engines. The company is also testing launch procedures such as the Prime’s rollout, strongback erection and fuelling procedures in advance of the first launch, which will carry a payload developed by small satellite developer萨里卫星技术.
Orbex’s Series C funding round, meanwhile, which was backed byJacobs, the丹麦绿色未来基金andVerve Ventures，总筹集到1.094亿美元。除了为该公司即将举行的发布活动提供资金外，首都在未来两年内再释放了1亿美元的资金，并支付了其业务的其他计划，包括在附近的Moray建造工厂。
苏格兰国家投资银行执行董事尼古拉·道格拉斯（Nicola Douglas）补充说：“对于苏格兰太空行业来说，这是一个非常激动人心的时刻。”“这项投资是银行与其他投资者合作支持苏格兰的规模的一个很好的例子，并与我们投资于创新和未来行业的使命相吻合。”
“有了Orbex，我们将在苏格兰举行一枚火箭，从苏格兰发射，并可能将苏格兰建造的卫星运送到轨道上。”
3D printed rocket engines taking off
Orbex’s single-piece engine for the Prime is now one of several being manufactured in the aerospace sector with the aid of 3D printing. Also based in Scotland,Skyrorahas 3D printed a rocket engine对于其XL发射车，该车于2022年7月在正在进行的下完成了70KN的热火测试European Space Agency（ESA）合同。
That month,Ursa Majorunveiled itspartially-3D printed Arroway engine,液态氧和methane-staged交错的ative to Russia’s commonly-used RD-180 and RD-181 propulsion systems. Designed so that ‘most of its parts’ can be additive manufactured, it’s thought the engine will meet the needs of US launch firms, who no longer have access to Russian-made 180s and 181s due to geopolitical tensions.
Likewise, private US aerospaceLauncher通过了另一个测试里程碑3D printed E-2 liquid rocket engine, earlier this year. Carried out atNASA’s Stennis Space Center，该测试使该公司的火箭发动机首次达到了名义推力，压力和氧化剂/燃料混合物比率，据报道，其工程师在测试射击40秒后发现该系统处于“完美状态”。
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Featured image shows an Orbex Prime rocket prototype on its launch pad. Photo via Orbex.
