French start-up Exotrail has won a contract with the French Space Agency CNES for two orbital demonstration missions. The first mission is planned for 2024 and will involve a demonstration of Exotrail’s on-orbit transfer vehicle, dubbed SpaceVan, to show off its ability to change a docked satellite’s altitude and enact other manoeuvres with it. The second mission will take place in 2025 and will see Exotrail actually moving a microsatellite from delivery point to its final orbit destination. The eventual aim is for Exotrail to become a full space “logistics” company for the transport of hardware.
Exotrail’s in-orbit transportation service beat out competitors for the contract which is worth several million euros. It is also the first orbital logistics missions commissioned by the French government. In its announcement of the news, Exotrail said the move would create further opportunities for other companies to sign up to use the remainder capacity of the missions.
Jean-Luc Maria, Exotrail’s CEO said: “We are honoured to have been selected as part of the ambitious France 2030 plan”. The news comes in the wake of a boost of investment from the French government into its space sector: in 2021 a stimulus package which included EUR €1 billion for emerging French space companies.
A conceptual image of Exotrail’s on-orbit transport vehicle. Courtesy: Exotrail
