Orbex trails other European Launcher Challenge companies as U.K. delays funding decision

WASHINGTON — Orbex, one of the five launch companies in ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, received far less funding than the other four at the agency’s ministerial conference after the United Kingdom deferred a decision on how to allocate most of its contribution.

At the conclusion of the ministerial conference Nov. 27 in Bremen, Germany, ESA leaders said the agency’s 23 member states agreed to provide more than 900 million euros ($1.05 billion) for the European Launcher Challenge (ELC), a program offering launch contracts and support for upgraded vehicle development.

That program was “heavily oversubscribed,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said at a Nov. 27 press conference. “It’s very good news and a very strong signal,” he said.

Unlike typical ESA programs, where members contribute funds with the expectation of receiving contracts proportional to their investments, an approach known as georeturn, ELC allowed member states to choose among five “preselected challengers.” Those companies were chosen in July based on technical and business maturity, and each could receive up to 169 million euros.

The five companies are Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, Orbex, PLD Space and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA).

ESA released details after the ministerial showing that 10 member states contributed a total of 902.16 million euros to ELC, enough to fully fund all five companies. But the money was not evenly distributed. Isar, MaiaSpace, PLD Space and RFA each received at least 169 million euros, while Orbex received just 34.9 million euros.

Of that total, 11.2 million euros would go to the program’s “Component A,” which funds launch contracts, while 23.7 million euros would go to “Component B,” or development and demonstration of an upgraded launch vehicle.

The U.K. provided most of Orbex’s funding at 21.7 million euros, with Denmark adding 8 million euros. The Czech Republic, Germany and Portugal made smaller contributions. Orbex is headquartered in Scotland and operates propulsion facilities in Denmark.

Overall, the U.K. subscribed 144 million euros to ELC, including 21.7 million euros for Orbex and 10 million euros for RFA, which plans to launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands. But the U.K. left 112.3 million euros unallocated, a move that puzzled many industry observers.

“We are working with multiple partners to ensure this funding delivers our requirements for assured access to space and benefits U.K. taxpayers,” a U.K. Space Agency spokesperson said in a Dec. 4 statement to SpaceNews. “Allocations to specific operators will be set out in due course.”

Orbex has been banking on ELC support for its Prime small launch vehicle and a planned larger rocket, Proxima. “From an Orbex perspective, ELC was very welcome,” John Bone, Orbex’s chief commercial officer, said during a panel at Space Tech Expo Europe Nov. 19.

He argued that government support is essential to any launch program. “To get an anchor tenant in the European Space Agency for a European launch company is absolutely essential,” he said.

Bone said the company was targeting a first Prime launch next year, although the vehicle is years behind its original schedule. Orbex has released few details about Prime’s progress; a Nov. 21 “Testing Programme Update” was primarily a short video of engine tests.

“We are very pleased to see U.K. government support for launch and are now digesting the details,” an Orbex spokesperson said in a Dec. 3 statement. “The most important thing is to see continued state backing for our industry, and we are delighted that remains in place.”

The home countries of the other four ELC companies all made major commitments to their companies. Spain provided essentially all of the 169.1 million euros for PLD Space, while France provided 179 million euros of the 184.2 million euros for MaiaSpace. Germany provided 176.85 million euros for Isar Aerospace, which received 205.65 million euros, and subscribed 180.51 million euros for RFA, which received 190.51 million euros.

European Launcher Challenge funding (in millions of euros)