D-Orbit
Overview
Operates the ION Satellite Carrier orbital transfer vehicle for last-mile satellite deployment and hosted payloads, and sells mission-control software (Aurora) and, through the Planetek integration, in-orbit data processing — monetizing transportation, software and data from the same flight heritage.
Moat: The largest flown European orbital-transfer-vehicle record — 23 orbital transportation missions, 144 satellites deployed and 83 hosted payloads as of mid-2026 — flight heritage no European competitor matches.
Business
Primary customers
- Commercial: Commercial satellite operators (hosted payloads)
- Government: European Space Agency
Sectors
in-space-transportation · hosted-payloads · in-orbit-servicing · mission-control-saas · in-space-computing
Last Funding Round
Key Products
- ION Satellite Carrieroperational
Orbital transfer vehicle providing last-mile satellite deployment and hosted-payload services, flown as a rideshare on multiple launch vehicles.
- Auroraoperational
Cloud-based mission-control SaaS platform.
- Planetek AI / in-orbit data processingoperational
Earth-observation data processing integrated following the April 2025 Planetek business combination.
- GEAdevelopment
In-orbit servicing and life-extension platform in development.
Near-term Catalysts
- 2026-10
Next ION mission
Continues D-Orbit's cadence as Europe's most-flown orbital transfer vehicle operator.
- 2026
Series D capital deployment into M&A and in-space computing
Tests whether the Planetek-style integration strategy scales into a broader data-and-transport platform.
Top Risks
- Long private-funding dependence after a previously announced SPAC merger with Breeze Holdings Acquisition Corp was not completed, leaving the liquidity path unclear.
- Launch-provider slip risk, since ION flies as a rideshare dependent on primary mission schedules.
- Orbital-transfer-vehicle pricing pressure from direct-inject rideshare slots that reduce the need for a dedicated OTV.
Recent Milestones
- 2026-01-22
$53M Series D announced, led by Azimut Group, earmarked for M&A and in-space computing
- 2025-04
Planetek business combination announced, integrating AI/in-orbit data processing
What investors should know
Q1What does D-Orbit's ION Satellite Carrier do?⌄
Q2Did D-Orbit go public?⌄
Q3What is D-Orbit's most recent funding round?⌄
Q4How does Planetek fit into D-Orbit's business?⌄
Q5Who leads D-Orbit?⌄
Peers
Compare side-by-side →Sources & References
Press Release
- D-Orbit · 2026-07-25