British rocket company creates space tug to move satellites and clear debris

British company Skyrora is one step closer to launching a space tug that could tow satellites into different orbits, replace old satellites and even clean up space debris.

The top stage of the Skyrora XL rocket passed a crucial static fire test at the engine development complex in Fife, Scotland, just before Christmas.

This upper stage of the rocket also serves as a “ mission-ready orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) ” that can perform a number of missions in space after delivering its payload.

Edinburgh-based Skyrora is hoping that by the end of next year, or early 2023, they’ll be able to launch the OTV, along with small satellites that it can carry inside, above the XL rocket at one of Scotland’s space ports.

They say this is a huge step for the UK space sector as it will allow them to provide space services, as well as launch satellites from UK soil.

On December 23, Skyrora’s test and flight operations team conducted one of its most significant test campaigns to date, a static fire test on the upper floor.

The engine burned for 450 seconds over three shots, and it involved a fully integrated setup of the engine, power systems, avionics, and flight software.

The vehicle will be able to deliver payloads into orbit – and once in space, it will be able to perform several missions, including replacing redundant satellites or removing trash.

Skyrora CEO Volodymyr Levykin said; “Our goal was always to be mission ready once all the regulations and approvals were in place, and this development not only brings us closer to that point, but also takes us beyond just preparing for launch.

“We have been deliberately quiet about this aspect of our Skyrora XL launcher as we had some technical challenges getting it to this point and we wanted to make sure all the tests were satisfactory, which they have now.

He said in the current climate there was a real dearth of good news, so they wanted to make sure it was working properly before sharing. with the world.

“It’s important to show that even in difficult times, we are still a nation that continues to innovate and take the lead in some high ambitions,” Levykin said.

With OneWeb seeking to launch more than 600 small satellites, and SpaceX seeking to build a Starlink constellation of 42,000 satellites, there will be as much demand for space operations as for launch services, Skyrora estimates.

“Skyrora’s third-stage OTV will meet this demand while performing maiden launch flights” of new satellites, the company said.

To date, the company has run a series of rigorous engine tests, but this latest exercise involved a fully integrated setup.

This included the engine, air mass structure and power systems, flight avionics and the complete flight computer software that will be used on Skyrora XL’s maiden flight – at some point next year or so. in early 2023.

The test focused on the flight software and structure of the vehicle, as the vehicle performed a full set of engine burns and maneuvers that simulate upper stage flight in orbit above Earth.

Passing this test brings Skyrora one step closer to completing their XL vehicle.

The OTV has the ability to reload its engine multiple times, allowing it to perform multiple missions in a single trip, making it highly configurable.

“Skyrora’s upper stage is a historic first not only for the company but also for the UK space industry, as it is the first ‘mission-ready’ vehicle of its kind to be developed in the country. Skyrora Director of Engineering Dr Jack James Marlow said.

In the mid-1980s, several studies were carried out on the development of an orbital maneuvering vehicle (OMV) – sometimes nicknamed a “space tug”.

The idea has gained little popularity due to the limited number of launches at the time, but the appetite for such a vehicle has grown in recent times.

This is in part due to the privatization of the space launcher industry, which makes it cheaper and easier to put objects into orbit.

In 2018, Spaceflight Inc. launched the Sherpa OMV aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, and in October 2019, an American consortium led by Northrop Grumman launched its “Mission Extension Vehicle” into orbit from Kazakhstan.

The spacecraft was used to reposition an existing satellite in a new orbit, which allowed it to extend its mission duration by four years, thus reducing the number of launches needed to replace it.

Skyrora’s upper stage, once in orbit, can navigate to a wide variety of orbit and make multiple stops, performing a number of functions during its journey.

This represents a paradigm shift in orbit operations, Skyrora boasted.

“Having a last mile orbital delivery service, which can drop many satellites into different orbits, move satellites from one orbit to another or perform various maintenance tasks, is revolutionary for the UK / EU space industry.”

This would give the UK the ability to clear space debris, launch Earth surveillance satellites and even keep existing satellites in orbit without multiple launches.

“With multiple missions accomplished by a single rocket launch, Skyrora optimizes each launch while minimizing any impact on the local environment,” they wrote.

“This is coupled with the use of an environmentally friendly fuel, Ecosene, which powers the vehicle to ensure the UK has the most environmentally friendly space industry in the world.”