Preparation activities of Launch Services for European privately-developed mini/micro launchers

The purpose of this activity was to evaluate the readiness and applicability of Orbex launch services to meet ESA's needs, identify any gaps, and formulate a roadmap to address them. It focused on three key areas: (i) an assessment of the company’s robustness; (ii) a mission feasibility analysis of four ESA missions; and (iii) a gap analysis of the current launch system relative to ESA requirements, followed by a high-level roadmap to close the identified gaps. The robustness assessment was divided into three phases: (i) a detailed description of the company's short-term goals; (ii) a comprehensive review of its current standing; and (iii) an evaluation of the company’s mid-term plans. This analysis spanned the technical, financial, and commercial domains, with a particular focus on non-technical ESA requirements such as the ESA Zero Debris policy and licensing. The mission feasibility analysis was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved the downselection of missions, while the second phase entailed a detailed analysis of the selected missions. This analysis encompassed technical, operational, commercial, and regulatory elements. Finally, based on the findings from the first two areas, the company has identified a set of gaps and developed a clear strategy to address each one.