Space: Europe Bets on D-Orbit, Founded by Alumnus Luca Rossettini

In 2028, ESA’s First In-Orbit Maintenance Mission. Another "Space Milestone" for Italy and a €120 Million Contract

"We are at the forefront of pioneering in-orbit maintenance," explains Luca Rossettini, CEO and founder of D-Orbit, in a recent interview with Fortune Italia. He is speaking about the company he founded, a European leader in the pioneering field of in-orbit servicing, the "logistics of space." But it also applies to Italy: a country that has always been at the cutting edge of space exploration, whose scientific and technological contributions have played a key role in shaping the aerospace industry of the entire continent.

And it continues to fuel this innovation: just a few days ago, the European Space Agency announced it had selected D-Orbit as its partner for its first in-orbit service mission, RISE. This commercial mission will demonstrate the ability to safely reach and dock with a geostationary client satellite. A milestone towards the sustainability of in-orbit services and technologies, such as refueling, refurbishment, and assembly.

Luca Rossettini is a Politecnico alumnus in aerospace engineering and holds a PhD. We’ve been following him closely for quite some time. In an interview he gave us in 2022, he shared his vision, now on the brink of becoming a reality: to create orbital service stations for satellites surrounding our planet. https://alumni.polimi.it/2022/02/21/un-satellite-e-come-il-maiale-non-si-butta-via-niente/

For years now, the company has been launching its ION carriers into orbit, which transport satellites to their respective operational positions. "In the new space economy, we call it last mile delivery," explains Rossettini. "Like a courier’s van, we roam space delivering packages door-to-door, meaning bringing satellites where they’re needed." This service has radically changed the way satellites are sent into orbit: "it saves up to 85% of time and up to 40% of costs."

With RISE, D-Orbit is launching the successor to ION: a new vehicle called Gea, representing a significant technological leap. The details of the platform have not been disclosed, but we know it will be equipped with robotic capabilities for in-orbit servicing and refueling missions. The RISE mission is another step for Europe toward building its own commercial infrastructure in geostationary orbit. For D-Orbit, it represents a contract worth nearly €120 million.

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