The French government has awarded funding to an Infinite Orbits-led consortium to perform a pair of in-orbit servicing missions.
Toulouse-based Infinite Orbits was founded in 2017. The company is working on developing a life-extension vehicle called Endurance and a constellation of small satellites called Orbit Guard, which it will use to offer close-range geostationary asset inspection services.
After CNES published two in-orbit services requests on behalf of the French government as part of its France 2030 initiative, Infinite Orbits partnered with space industry stalwart Telespazio to respond. The France 2030 initiative is a €54 billion investment programme that aims to transform sectors of the French economy with technological innovation.
The first of the two missions will utilize the company’s 750-kilogram Endurance life extension spacecraft. After docking with a yet-to-be-selected active end-of-life commercial telecommunication satellite, the spacecraft will assume its station-keeping responsibilities, allowing the satellite to operate for an additional five years. The Endurance spacecraft will also be responsible for end-of-life disposal.
The second mission will use a small 50-kilogram Orbit Guard inspection spacecraft. Once launched, the spacecraft will be tasked with rendezvousing at close proximity with the dead EUMETSAT Meteosat 8 weather satellite. The mission will demonstrate the spacecraft’s ability to conduct a near-range rendezvous with a tumbling, non-cooperative satellite.
Telespazio France, for its part, will supply the missions’ ground segment and operations.
In May, Infinite Orbits completed its first funding round, raising €12 million to continue the development of Endurance and its Orbit Guard constellation. CNES and the French government acting as an anchor customer for both of the company’s planned services will offer the company a strong position from which to begin drumming up interest for its next funding round.