INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Michigan-based in-space propulsion startup Orbion is working with a major new partner: The United States Department of Defense (DOD)
propulsion technology can be applied to DOD satellites when used in larger constellation form, to provide those satellites with the ability
to move propulsively while in orbit, and to do so in a way that can scale cost-effectively
In a press release announcing the news, Orbion CEO Brad King says that volume is a strategy when it comes to fortifying United States
to build propulsion systems for commercial customers
that in the past, the United States and other international powers with access to space have mostly focused on large, expensive, singular
pieces of orbital hardware as their strategic assets
Shifting to the small satellite constellation approach currently being pursued by a number of private companies definitely has advantages in
thrusters, which will bring down costs and make their technology accessible to a much wider range of potential clients, and practical for
application in small satellite design
The DOD may not have the same budget-constraint issues as a cash-strapped satellite startup, but long-term cost savings that also comes with
a tactical advantage is a hard bargain to pass up.
