Alba Orbital Announces Major ESA Contract

Unicorn-2, Alba Orbital’s second satellite platform will be developed in cooperation with ESA

Glasgow, Scotland (UK), 31 May, 2017 - Alba Orbital, the world leaders in PocketQube technology, today announced their second major contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build the Unicorn-2 satellite platform for turnkey In-Orbit demonstration and In-Orbit verification.

“This is Alba Orbital’s second contract with the European Space Agency and is great news for Alba Orbital and the Scottish space industry.” said Andrew Paliwoda, Business Development Manager, Alba Orbital “It clearly demonstrates the success of Alba Orbital as a startup and our expertise within research, Alba Orbital are going from strength to strength and are ready to offer innovative space solutions to the industry”.

Developing upon the Unicorn-1 platform, the Unicorn-2 will provide improved platform performance nearing the specifications of a CubeSat at a fraction of the price. This project will work to overcome many of the issues presented by the small from of the PocketQube family. Improving core power systems and increasing the data rate for transmission will be at the heart of the project. The Unicorn-2 is a platform designed around In-Orbit demonstration and will aid components manufacturers seeking new testing methods and ways to obtain space heritage.

“The Unicorn-2 satellite platform will build Alba Orbital’s strengths within In-Orbit demonstration which is already possible using the Unicorn-1 platform. With better specifications and an improved radio, the Unicorn-2 allows for more complex testing to be done on components requiring space heritage. The Unicorn-2 satellite platform will be a compelling testing solution for anyone looking for in-orbit testing”

Alba Orbital is a UK based company, employing 10 people in Glasgow, Scotland . All of the work involved in this contract will be performed at Alba Orbital’s offices in Glasgow. Alba Orbital has been providing innovative space solutions for over 3 years with some of their solutions flying on the International Space Station.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organisation comprising of 22 member states. ESA exists with the mission to explore space and to unleash the potential of space for Europeans and beyond. Through collaboration between the 22 organisations, ESA is able to undertake ambitious programmes and activities.

You can find out more about Alba Orbital at www.albaorbital.com

Media Contact:
Andrew Paliwoda
Business Development Manager
[email protected]