DeltaOrbit

Who is your favorite Star Trek captain? Under the theme "Starship Enterprise, Bavaria One – and how it all connects," the @SZ-Kultursalon hosted an event yesterday at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. The discussion featured Dr. Markus Söder, a passionate Trekkie, self-proclaimed science fiction nerd, and space enthusiast. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Wolfgang M. Heckl, Director General of the Deutsches Museum and host of the evening, celebrated his Star Trek enthusiasm with Spock ears, a phaser, and a vintage shirt from the 1960s. Completing the panel was Prof. Ulrich Walter, a real-life astronaut. As a huge Star Trek fan myself, I found one question particularly interesting: Who is the favorite Star Trek captain of the Bavarian Minister President? The answer: Captain Kirk, the charismatic and adventurous risk-taker who has become an icon of exploration and leadership. My personal favorite, however, is Captain Picard – the diplomat with a fondness for Earl Grey tea. Perhaps it's because I’m more of “The Next Generation” 😉. It was a pleasure to chat briefly with the Minister President and to represent Munich’s New Space ecosystem alongside Thomas Sinn from Dcubed, Max Gulde from constellr, and Maximilian Strixner from The Exploration Company. Many thanks to the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the SZ-Kultursalon team for the kind invitation, and to Susanne Hermanski for her excellent moderation.

The End of the Batch is Just the Beginning 🚀 Last week, we wrapped up Space Founder Batch #5 and are proud to officially join the ranks of 55 SpaceFounders alumni companies! We celebrated this incredible milestone with an inspiring grand finale at Space Tech Night 2024 🎉, alongside our fellow batch startups. Our journey took us from Toulouse to Milan, and finally to our beautiful hometown, Munich. These past weeks have been truly memorable, filled with exciting events, hands-on training, and fantastic networking opportunities 🤝. A heartfelt thank you to Lucie Campagnolo, Andreas Heitmann, Felix Kästner, Anaïs van Wynsberghe, Stephanie Wißmann and Thibault de la Croix for their amazing organization 👏. As Andreas put it, “The end of the batch is not the end of the program.” We’re thrilled to continue collaborating with SpaceFounders and look forward to this next chapter. Special thanks to all the other fantastic startups in Batch #5. Working with you has been a real pleasure, and we can’t wait to connect again at future events 🤗. Astradyne, SpaceLocker, Blackswan Space, connected, Galeio, KINETIK Space, Kreios Space, Marble Imaging, Neurobus, Northern Waves AB, OLEDCOMM, Skynopy, Snowpack #Space, #NewSpace, #SpaceTechnology, #MunichSpaceTechNight, #Munich

The End of the Batch is Just the Beginning 🚀 Last week, we wrapped up Space Founder Batch #5 and are proud to officially join the ranks of 55 SpaceFounders alumni companies! We celebrated this incredible milestone with an inspiring grand finale at Space Tech Night 2024 🎉, alongside our fellow batch startups. Our journey took us from Toulouse to Milan, and finally to our beautiful hometown, Munich. These past weeks have been truly memorable, filled with exciting events, hands-on training, and fantastic networking opportunities 🤝. A heartfelt thank you to Lucie Campagnolo, Andreas Heitmann, Felix Kästner, Anaïs van Wynsberghe, Stephanie Wißmann and Thibault de la Croix for their amazing organization 👏. As Andreas put it, “The end of the batch is not the end of the program.” We’re thrilled to continue collaborating with SpaceFounders and look forward to this next chapter. Special thanks to all the other fantastic startups in Batch #5. Working with you has been a real pleasure, and we can’t wait to connect again at future events 🤗. Astradyne, SpaceLocker, Blackswan Space, connected, Galeio, KINETIK Space, Kreios Space, Marble Imaging, Neurobus, Northern Waves AB, OLEDCOMM, Skynopy, Snowpack #Space, #NewSpace, #SpaceTechnology, #MunichSpaceTechNight, #Munich

I've never been this far north in my life. It was cold, it was wet—and it was unforgettable ❄️🌧️. Bodø (Norway), the location chosen by the organizers for Tech Tour Space 2024, is simply breathtaking, even with challenging weather. DeltaOrbit was honored to be selected by an investor panel as one of the most promising, innovative space companies for Tech Tour Space 2024. 🚀🌌 It was great to share our vision for future in-space logistics based on cryogenic space propulsion with both the participants and the expert jury. Special thanks to Christian Ziach from HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds for moderating the pitch session on Space Vehicles and Propulsion Tech, and to the jury for their insightful questions. 🙏 Finally, a shoutout to my fellow panelists: deltaVision - fluid control & aerospace, ISPTech, Neutron Star Systems, and Team Tumbleweed. 👏 Alex Plebuch, Felix Lauck, Manuel La Rosa Betancourt, Julian Rothenbuchner, Christian Bauer, Felix Schily, Rahand Dalshad

A dream comes true: Discussing space propulsion with Iron Man As a big Sci-Fi fan, it was an incredible experience to meet Iron Man at the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE Conference in the Eisbach Studios, Munich. During an interview with Michelle Willemse (Willys) I had the opportunity to explain the benefits of our propulsion technology and how the 3DEXPERIENCE platform helps us accelerate development. The highlights at our booth were our combustion chamber—an impressive piece of engineering—and the video showcasing our successful engine demo. I was especially happy to welcome our friends Florian Doetzer and Arne Rost from the TUM Venture Labs at our stand. It was also fantastic to join forces with fellow startups OTTOBAHN and Strong by Form to represent the startup ecosystem at the event. A big thank you to Yvonne Klein, Patricia Seitz, Luisa Monteiro and Fabien Bartel for the invitation and the amazing organization! Marc Schindler, Sandra Kühbacher, Andres Mitnik, Christian Bauer, Rahand Dalshad, Felix Schily #Space #NewSpace #SpaceTechnology #Propulsion #Methalox #SpaceMobility #SpaceLogistics #InSpaceMobility

The Many Flavours of the Space Business 🍦🚀 Last week’s Bootcamp in Toulouse was like trying all the flavours of an ice cream cone – each representing the diverse business fields within the space industry as showcased by SpaceFounders Batch #5. From communication and energy systems to navigation, robotics, propulsion, and Earth observation, we explored an incredible spectrum of innovations – including payload hosting and cybersecurity. It’s amazing to witness how diverse and cutting-edge the space industry truly is.   We also got a taste of the dynamic Toulouse space ecosystem, meeting key industry leaders and making valuable high-level connections. A standout moment was listening to a former astronaut describe the overwhelming sense of Earth's fragility as seen from space.   Thank you to everyone involved – it was truly a delicious event. Looking forward to what's next! 🚀✨ Astradyne, SpaceLocker, Blackswan Space, connected, Galeio, KINETIK Space, Kreios Space, Marble Imaging, Neurobus, Northern Waves AB, OLEDCOMM, Skynopy, Snowpack, Thales Alenia Space, Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Loft Orbital, Airbus Defence and Space, Safran, Christoph Sollich #Space #NewSpace #SpaceTechnology #Toulouse

How Will Cryogenic In-Space Propulsion Shape the Future of Space Logistics?   Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting our vision for space logistics at the inauguration of the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab in Vélizy (Paris).   The superior performance of cryogenic propellants will be a game-changer for space logistics. Conventional in-space propulsion systems are strongly limited in their operating range or are simply too expensive, making them the bottleneck for space mobility and effective in-space logistics. DeltaOrbit addresses this challenge with its advanced methane/oxygen propulsion system and is developing the SmallSat Deployer, a transportation platform that enables efficient in-space logistics.   I enjoyed reconnecting with our friends from deltaVision - fluid control & aerospace and showcasing the New Space sector together with Elise.   A big thank you to Dassault Systèmes and the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab team for organizing this remarkable event. It is truly inspiring to see the outstanding hardware solutions currently being developed and how these innovations are addressing today’s biggest challenges. Just as remarkable is the role that modern modeling and simulation tools play in turning these innovations into reality.   Élise Verdière, Patricia Seitz, Alex Plebuch, Fabien Bartel, Laetitia Guezennec, Yvonne Klein, #Space #NewSpace #SpaceTechnology #Propulsion #Methalox #SpaceMobility #SpaceLogistics #InSpaceMobility

While our CPM is under development and test campaigns are ongoing, we are actively optimizing individual subcomponents such as the thrust chamber. Mass and volume are key factors for a successful in-space propulsion system, given that every kilogram impacts the launch costs and the payload fairing space on a launch vehicle is limited. One way to enhance the efficiency and reduce the size of a thruster is by increasing the operating chamber pressure. This approach, however, results in greater thermal and structural stress on the thruster. By employing high-performance materials, additive manufacturing technology, and innovative engine designs, these limits can be significantly extended. Following a series of hotfire tests on our sensor-equipped combustion chamber, we collected extensive data for the design of actively cooled engines capable of operating under extreme conditions. In collaboration with our partner AENIUM and with support from METASTARS, we optimized the design of our regenerative cooled engine for two high-temperature materials. The new hardware is currently undergoing extensive testing on our test rig and demonstrates impressive performance - below a 90s of pure hotfire! Special thanks to Jose Miguel Ampudia Castro and Federico González Diez from AENIUM for the high-quality parts and to METASTARS for the financial support and mentoring.

🚀 DeltaOrbit Joins Batch#5 of SpaceFounders Incubator! 🚀 SpaceFounders is a bold 3-month acceleration program, empowering the next generation of European space leaders. With an impressive network that includes 40 alumni, over 100 mentors and speakers, and partnerships with CNES, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, and the Universität der Bundeswehr München, as well as network partners like Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence & Space, SpaceFounders offers unparalleled support and opportunities for space startups. We are proud to join this amazing community. This milestone represents a significant step forward in our mission to shape the future of in-space mobility. #Space #NewSpace #SpaceTechnology #Propulsion #Methalox #SpaceMobility #SpaceLogistics #InSpaceMobility DeltaOrbit, Felix Schily, Rahand Dalshad, Christian Bauer, Jan Beushausen

Traditionally, propellants for chemical rocket engines have been divided into two categories: cryogenic and storable.   While cryogenic propellants offer the highest performance and are non-toxic, they are only used for launch vehicles and other short-duration missions.   Storable propellants, such as hydrazine, can be easily stored for years, but are either highly toxic or offer only mediocre performance. But they are the only choice for long-duration space missions.   Our Cryogenic Propulsion Module could change all that.   The CPM's zero boil-off technology allows the cryogenic methane/oxygen propellants to be stored indefinitely in orbit. A passive Resonance Ignition System gives the system quasi-hypergolic properties, providing the ignition reliability critical for demanding multi-year missions. The self-pressurising system architecture eliminates the need for heavy and expensive pumps and eases thermal management. Finally, regenerative cooling allows the thrust chamber to deliver the highest possible performance without compromise.   These features allow the Cryogenic Propulsion Module to deliver kick-stage-like performance in a smallsat form factor, even years after initial deployment into orbit.   Our recent Hotfire campaign demonstrated that these are not empty promises. It showed that all the components work well together and can deliver the targeted performance. Even in its simplest breadboard version, it already delivers a specific impulse well above anything else on the chemical satellite propulsion market, and future improvements can only increase this advantage.   This puts the CPM in a prime position to serve the space logistics market of the future.