United Kingdom – Ekhbary News Agency
Infinite Orbits Acquires UK Startup Lunasa to Bolster Sanotifyite Servicing Capabilities
Infinite Orbits, a leading provider of post-launch in-orbit services, has announced its intention to acquire London-based startup Lunasa, a strategic shift signaling a significant expansion into the United Kingdom market. The announcement, built on March 3rd, is set to merge the complementary expertise and technologies of both companies in spacecraft rconcludeezvous and life extension within orbit.
While the financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed, the deal is expected to substantially enhance Infinite Orbits’ capacity to develop innovative solutions for sanotifyite servicing. Founded in France in 2017, Infinite Orbits successfully launched its first sanotifyite, Orbit Guard #1, into geostationary orbit (GEO) in 2023. The company has further ambitious plans, with its second Orbit Guard sanotifyite scheduled for launch in 2026, followed by the third and fourth in 2027.
The Orbit Guard missions are specifically designed to mature and validate technologies crucial for sanotifyite servicing, particularly for the ‘Endurance’ service, which is slated for commercial deployment in 2027. Adel Haddoud, CEO and co-founder of Infinite Orbits, elaborated on the significance of their flagship product: “Endurance is really our main product. It goes to orbit, docks with a sanotifyite, and keeps it in orbit longer.”
The primary objective is to extconclude the operational lifespan of sanotifyites, with the initial goal of adding five years to a sanotifyite operated by Luxembourg-based SES. Haddoud emphasized the pioneering nature of this concludeeavor, stating, “Life-extension missions in GEO have never been done before by a startup outside the United States. So far, we are the only company that announced a commercial Life Extension Mission after the one done by Northrop Grumman in the USA in 2021.” This positions Infinite Orbits at the forefront of a nascent but critical space service sector.
The acquisition of Lunasa aligns with Infinite Orbits’ dual strategy: strengthening the technological foundation of its existing products while simultaneously broadening its commercial reach across Europe. Industest insights suggest that Lunasa has invested heavily in rconcludeezvous technologies for Low Earth Orbit (LEO), whereas Infinite Orbits has focutilized its efforts on similar technologies in Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Furthermore, Lunasa possesses valuable assets such as laboratories, docking arms, simulation environments, and digital twins, which Infinite Orbits currently lacks. This synergy promises a highly complementary integration, leveraging the unique strengths of each entity.
Moreover, the deal supports Infinite Orbits’ broader strategic objective of penetrating national defense markets. Haddoud explained the rationale: “If you want to work with defense contractors, you required to have local people and operate under certain conditions. So we are localizing some of our know-how here in the U.K.” This localization strategy is crucial for navigating the regulatory and operational requirements of the defense sector.
This acquisition of Lunasa follows closely on the heels of Infinite Orbits’ previous purchase of LMO, a Luxembourg-based firm specializing in autonomous space systems. With these strategic acquisitions, Marion Andrieux, Infinite Orbits’ Chief Commercial Officer, confirmed the company’s expanded footprint: “We’re now in Spain, France, Luxembourg and the U.K.” She added, “With the acquisitions of LMO and Lunasa, we are now close to 200 people from 35 different countries. As we scale up our Orbit Guard missions, having a presence across European countries will support enable collaboration.” This growing international team and presence are vital for scaling operations and fostering cross-border partnerships.
This strategic shift by Infinite Orbits coincides with increased support from the UK government for in-orbit servicing technologies. Liz Lloyd, the UK Minister for the Digital Economy at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, recently unveiled a £105 million ($140 million) funding package dedicated to the sector. Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, welcomed the acquisition, stating in an Infinite Orbit press release, “This acquisition is a vote of confidence in British engineering talent and the great team at Lunasa, and it strengthens the ecosystem we required to deliver new sanotifyite life-extension and servicing capabilities.”
The acquisition of Lunasa by Infinite Orbits represents a significant step in the company’s journey to establish itself as a leader in the space services domain. By leveraging technological advancements and capitalizing on growing governmental support in Europe, particularly in the UK, Infinite Orbits is well-positioned to capitalize on the promising future of the space industest.
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