Photo: Exotrail

Exotrail, a French space company, is teaming up with Luxembourg-based satellite manufacturer OHB LuxSpace to collaborate on a new micro-satellite platform, the companies announced November 22. The two companies will integrate ExoMGTM – cluster2, a configuration of Exotrail’s high thrust and flexible electric propulsion product family, into OHB’s Triton-X Heavy platform.

OHB LuxSpace has spent the past year working on the development of a small satellite platform. In May, the company, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) under the ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecoms System) programme for a partnership project for the development and qualification of the Triton-X Heavy microsatellite platform, which it wants to be ready for commercial use by mid-2023. Triton-X is a new line of microsatellites with a launch mass of up to 200 kg aimed at enabling affordable satellite constellations in LEO. In order to meet this key design requirement and achieving rapid market launch, Triton-X aims to leverage efficient manufacturing, assembly and testing processes. This co-engineering phase with Exotrail comes as part of the development of a next generation of this multi-mission microsatellite platform.

“We are thrilled to be embarked into Triton-X Heavy project, a microsatellite European flagship program and to welcome OHB Luxspace into ExoMGTM fast growing customer base. This first contract paves the way of future large constellation deployments for which in-space mobility and manoeuvrability become a critical requirement,” Sébastien Duménil, Exotrail’s Chief Commercial Officer said in a statement.