Credit: Orbital Paradigm
Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm has announced that it has secured three customers for a flight aboard its KID subscale reentry demonstrator capsule, scheduled for launch in late 2025.
Founded in 2023, Orbital Paradigm is developing a small reusable cargo vehicle called Kestrel. Once operational, Kestrel will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 120 kilograms and remaining in orbit for up to three months before returning its cargo to Earth. The company plans to conduct monthly flights by the 2030s.
As it prepares for the inaugural flight of its return capsule, Orbital Paradigm has developed a subscale prototype to validate key technologies that will be used aboard Kestrel. According to the company, the prototype was built in less than a year for under €1 million.
In a 4 September announcement, Orbital Paradigm stated that its KID demonstrator will carry payloads for ALATYR (France), Leibniz University Hannover (Germany), and an undisclosed third customer. While the 4 September announcement did not include details about the Leibniz University Hannover payload or that of the undisclosed customer, ALATYR CEO Emeric Lhomme said his company’s payloads would demonstrate its robotic laboratory technology, which is designed to support microgravity research and production.
“Having paying customers on our first flight validates both our technical approach and business model,” said Francesco Cacciatore, the company’s CEO and CTO.
Following the KID demonstration, the company plans to launch a second subscale mission in 2026. However, Orbital Paradigm will also begin developing its first full-scale Kestrel capsule after the 2025 mission, meaning it will be working on both a second subscale vehicle and a full-scale vehicle at the same time.
In addition to securing customers for its KID demonstration mission, the French space agency CNES has committed to being an anchor customer for Orbital Paradigm’s Kestrel capsule missions. In June, Orbital Paradigm announced that it had been selected by CNES to carry biology and physiology experiments for the agency. These missions will be launched aboard French startup Latitude’s Zephyr rocket, which is expected to make its inaugural flight in 2026.