Reflex Aerospace Signs Media Broadcast Satellite as First Commercial Customer

Rendering of a Reflex Aerospace satellite. Photo: Reflex Aerospace

Reflex Aerospace signed Media Broadcast Satellite (MBS) as its first commercial customer, and will fly a payload for MBS on its first satellite. 

Reflex announced on Tuesday that MBS will be the customer for its SIGI mission, which will test its new satellite manufacturing technologies. Reflex Aerospace has booked a slot on a fall 2024 SpaceX mission to launch the satellite. 

MBS is the primary payload on the mission and Reflex Aerospace is not looking for additional customers, a representative for Reflex confirmed to Via Satellite. The satellite model will be based on Reflex’s baseline architecture, at a mass of about 120 kg. The satellite is planned for Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO), the rep said. 

Reflex Aerospace is a two-year-old German space startup with a goal to offer tailor-made microsatellites manufactured in less than 12-month timelines. The company recently expanded its seed funding round with a 1.75 million euro ($1.9 million) investment, and is a shareholder in new European joint venture UNIO. 

MBS is a German-based service integrator and managed gateway operator that provides data and voice communications via satellite and data networks. MBS Managing Director Sven Sünberg also commented that Reflex Aerospace will operate the payload on-orbit.   

“This partnership demonstrates that Reflex’s novel approach to satellite design and manufacturing, as well as its core value proposition of lightning-fast delivery, is exactly what the market demands at times of growing innovation pressure,” commented Reflex Aerospace CEO Walter Ballheimer.