CIRA's Space Qualification Laboratory, with the collaboration of Powerflex S.r.l., has just successfully accomplished a test campaign, on behalf of D-ORBIT S.p.A., on the ProtoFlight Model of the ION-mk02 SCV-003 Satellite. Vibrational tests will allow the satellite to be launched, in June 2021, into space with SPACE X Falcon 9 launcher from Cape Canaveral (FL).
ION Satellite Carrier is an orbital transportation vehicle developed and manufactured by D-ORBIT. ION can host a batch of CubeSats or microsats with a total volume up to 64U or 160kg of mass and release them individually into distinct orbital slots, enabling deployment schemes previously unavailable to spacecraft with no independent propulsion.
The acceptance test campaign carried out from CIRA had the aim to validate the behavior of the satellite against vibrational (sine, random) operating loads, which the satellites will have to withstand during launch, deployment and mission in space.
D-ORBIT S.p.A. is a market leader in the field of space logistics. Its solutions, based on proprietary technologies, enable the optimization of operations both in orbit and on the ground through last-mile delivery of satellites, orbital transportation, space logistics, and space waste management. The company's competitive advantage is the versatility of its launch and deployment services, which can be tailored to the needs of any space mission. The options range from the launch procurement of a single spacecraft using standard deployment strategies to the precise deployment of an entire constellation with ION Satellite Carrier, a space tug developed and operated by D-Orbit.
