Ukrainian start-up, which came up with promising technology, prepares to solve a debris-free launch of small satellites.
Ukrainian space tech startup Promin Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding with spaceport operator in Northern Atlantics, ASC. As Emerging Europe states, Europe is not the limit; worldwide customers are at the radar of Promin Aerospace.
This partnership aims to build and operate an Open Spaceport where Promin Aerospace can put its cargo into orbit with the minimum burden. Mykhailo Rudomansky, Promin Aerospace’s co-founder and CEO, notes, ‘Cooperation with ASC is an essential step in developing Promin Aerospace’.
According to Forbes, the company’s product will significantly reduce the cost of launching a rocket into space for the corporate sector.
What is the key offer of Promin Aerospace to its customers? Environmental friendliness and safety to humans of its rocket launches. That means that the start-up is working on a credible plan to allow prospective customers to put their cargo into orbit. Thus the idea is to be able to launch small payloads into orbit and serve the sub-orbital and orbital launch markets.
For that, they need a partner who differentiates in flexibility to adapt to that plan. And ASC meets their requirements best. By securing a launch partner in ASC, Promin Aerospace can develop a final stage for a product that can ensure smooth operations of its rockets.
For spaceport operator ASC, cooperation with Promin Aerospace comes with a benefit. It offers a way to build trust with their customers. It’s an opportunity to hone their customers’ requirements better and tailor its services and operations to a new planned rocket.
Reducing Scale Factor Impact
With the autophagic technology at the sleeve of Promin Aerospace, the startup aims to reduce passive mass and scale factor impact. To make space available is the key purpose of the startup. And there are two steps included.
The first one is to build a rocket that can deploy payloads in the Earth’s orbit faster than anybody else. And the second one is to do that with no debris left in space. As their press office states, the first commercial launch of the smallest satellites to any specific orbit is due at the end of 2022.
As it’s known today, Promin Aerospace has started its operation in January 2021. Before, the co-founder and CEO, Mykhailo Rudomanski, worked on the hardware project for modems production. For designing its ultra-lightweight launch vehicle, Promin Aerospace startup has raised $500,000 from QPDigital.
The idea of a ‘self-burning launch vehicle’ is not brand-new and developed before. Yet, there were no products or services launched based on the technologies. Or at least, not announced yet. This time, Promin Aerospace offers an innovative approach. It suggests that no rocket components remain in orbit or fall back into the ocean.
The startup teams up with educational institutions, research centers, and private companies. That way, the startup uses its services to launch its payloads into orbit or test electronics and systems in case of suborbital missions.
Currently, work on Promin Aerospace “is at the stage of engine testing,” Mykhailo Rudominski said. And for their first suborbital flight to happen, the date looks not earlier than 2023. The project plans to create the smallest solid rocket for nano and picosatellites to launch a payload into orbit. And that flight is conducted to be in 2025.
Launch Sites
There is another thing that makes this cooperation different. ASC wants to take launch sites away from populated areas.
The islands in the Atlantic Ocean might seem not the best option for the Portugal-based ASC. Yet, the idea is obvious. Regulation and logistical burden are the key pain points for both customers and lunch vehicle providers. Getting rid of those is the aim of ASC.
A suborbital launch site in the Azores is the first to be completed. The consortium will provide everything that a launcher might need for payload integration. That includes the infrastructure, supporting equipment, and facilities. They want to eliminate all the barriers to smooth operations of the launchers.
