Feb. 25, 2021Marubeni Corporation
Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) has concluded a representative sales agreement with D-Orbit SpA (hereinafter, “D-Orbit”), which provides small satellite launch arrangement and deployment services. According to the agreement, Marubeni will gain exclusive rights to provide D-Orbit’s services in Japan, and in other strategic areas.
D-Orbit is an Italian space logistics company. D-Orbit’s flagship service, InOrbit NOW (hereinafter, “ION”), is a launch and deployment service that uses ION Satellite Carrier, a spacecraft designed, manufactured, and operated by the company. ION Satellite Carrier can host a batch of small satellites during launch, transport them to space, and release them into individual, customized orbital slots, while at the same time operating multiple hosted payloads during a single mission. ION Satellite Carrier is a platform that can navigate itself to the correct location to quickly deploy small satellites into precise and independent orbital slots. Other than small satellites, ION Satellite Carrier can host measuring equipment for test purposes.
Marubeni aims to provide various functions necessary to the launch and operation of small satellites. In 2016, Marubeni issued a business partnership with Interstellar Technologies Inc. (hereinafter, “IST”), a Hokkaido-based company that develops sub-orbital and orbital rockets. In 2019 Marubeni concluded a capital partnership with IST. Marubeni is involved in a variety of small satellite launch services for various small satellite operators. In 2020, Marubeni, D-Orbit and IST concluded a letter of intent to study the development of an agile small satellite release system.
Through this representative sales agreement with D-Orbit, Marubeni will offer valuable services to a wide range of satellite operators and make a significant contribution to the advancement of the space industry.
< ION Satellite Carrier Operation Track Record>・In Sept. 2020, the first ION Satellite Carrier was launched by Vega rocket, and succeeded in deploying 12 Planet Lab earth-imaging satellites precisely into individually designated orbital slots.・In Jan. 2021, an enhanced version of ION satellite Carrier launched by Falcon9 rocket, and successfully deployed into a polar orbit. 20 small satellites are now in the process of deploying, and 2 hosted payloads are await operation which will commence once the deploying mission is complete.
Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of business activities across wide-ranging fields including lifestyle, ICT & real estate business, forest products, food, agri business, chemicals, energy, metals & mineral resources, power business, infrastructure project, aerospace & ship, finance & leasing business, construction, industrial machinery & mobility, and next generation business development. Additionally, the Marubeni Group offers a variety of services, makes internal and external investments, and is involved in resource development throughout all of the above industries.
<Related Press Releases>Jan 19, 2016Business Collaboration with Interstellar Technologies Inc.https://www.marubeni.com/en/news/2016/release/00006.html
Nov 11, 2019Capital Partnership between Marubeni and Interstellar Technologieshttps://www.marubeni.com/en/news/2019/release/201911112E.pdf
Apr 14, 2020Business Partnership for a Small Satellite Launch Businesshttps://www.marubeni.com/en/news/2020/release/20200414E.pdf
