Reflect Orbital has ordered two launches from India’s emerging launch provider Skyroot Aerospace. The company says it is bringing on new launch providers as it deals with a crunch in the launch market.
“There’s a real launch capacity shortage right now. We’re excited to work with a new launch provider, Skyroot, to help ensure access to space,” said Reflect Orbital CEO and co-founder Ben Nowack said in a statement.
Reflect Orbital did not share expected timing for the two launches but said the first launch will use the Vikram-1 rocket and the second will use the larger, Vikram-1U rocket, which is in development.
This comes after Skyroot reached orbit for the first time with the Vikram-1 rocket in July. The mission made history as the first private orbital launch from India. Vikram-1 is designed to launch small satellites, up to 350 kg to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).
“Reflect Orbital represents the kind of ambitious global space mission the Vikram family is being built to serve. We are pleased to partner with Ben and the Reflect Orbital team across two dedicated launches, providing schedule certainty and mission flexibility,” said Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace.
Reflect Orbital designed a spacecraft to redirect sunlight from orbit to specific locations on Earth. In July, the FCC approved its demonstration Earendil-1 spacecraft to launch. The application drew more than 2,000 comments with many concerns about the harm it could cause.
The company expects to have two satellites in orbit this year and expand to more than 1,000 satellites by 2028 and potentially more than 50,000 in the future. Reflect Orbital believes its technology can create a new category of space-enabled infrastructure to provide lighting for remote operations, defense, civil infrastructure, and energy generation.
