Leading launch company Virgin Orbit, which has announced a planned business combination with special purpose acquisition company NextGen Acquisition Corp. II, has announced alongside space-based data and analytics provider Spire Global, Inc. that they have received waiver approval from the Federal Aviation Authority to include Spire on Virgin Orbit's upcoming launch. The satellite, which was integrated at Virgin Orbit's Long Beach facility within 36 hours, will fly as the third customer in the previously announced Above the Clouds mission, scheduled for mid-December 2021 to mid-January 2022.
Going from idea to orbit in less than one year, ADLER-1 is developed by Spire in partnership with the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) and Findus Venture GmbH and has demonstrated the speed at which satellites can be developed. ADLER-1 is also part of a growing movement to address the issue of dangerous space debris and to improve sustainability in Low Earth Orbit. The 30x10x10 cm satellite will study the micro space debris environment in Low Earth Orbit to complement the space debris models by obtaining in-situ data.
"It's flat-out amazing!" said Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit CEO. "Going from initial conversation to final selection in 20 days and from selection to integrated payload in just 36 hours, Spire's recent addition to Above the Clouds is a great example of the flexibility of LauncherOne's capabilities, the agility of both our teams, and the flexibility and support of the FAA in enabling rapid and responsive deployment of satellites to Low Earth Orbit."
"Partnering with Virgin Orbit for this launch allows us to continue the accelerated pace of this important project with Findus Ventures GmbH and OeWF to study the space debris environment in Low Earth Orbit so they can verify and complement space debris models even more quickly," said Peter Platzer, CEO of Spire.
