Gilmour joins up with Atmos for space services

Gilmour Space Technologies and Atomos Space have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) over future purchases by the two companies from each other.

The MoU will explore a multi-year contract for Gilmour and Atomos to mutually purchase services for launch and in-space transportation, according to a statement released to coincide with the Avalon air show.

The partnership will see Atomos contract Gilmour for launch services on its Eris rocket (pictured) and upcoming orbital launch vehicles.

In addition, Atomos’ Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) will provide in-space transportation services to customers and launch aggregation services of multiple customer spacecraft for launch on Gilmour vehicles.

While the barrier to entry for satellites to get to space is decreasing significantly, some applications require access into difficult-to-reach orbits, according to the statement.

Atomos Space solves this problem by providing in-space transportation and orbit-raising services to satellites.

“Atomos has a unique approach where, unlike similar systems under development, their OTVs reside in space and rendezvous with client satellites on-orbit.

“This allows the full launch mass and volume to be reserved for the payload, reducing costs to the customer and allowing launch vehicles, such as Eris, to be used for a wider range of missions.”

CEO of Gilmour Space Technologies Adam Gilmour said the agreement was an exciting opportunity for his company

Gilmour, said: “We look forward to exploring the possibility of leveraging Atomos’s orbital transfer capabilities to expand our services and the flexibility of access to space to new markets and customers.

Gilmour Space’s innovative Eris orbital launch vehicles will deliver up to 305 kg to LEO with a first commercial launch expected in 2023.

CEO of Atmos Vanessa Clark said: “By leveraging the strengths of each of our companies, we anticipate being able to provide unparalleled services to customers in the space launch and transportation industry.”

Picture: Gilmour Space Technologies