{"id":786238,"date":"2026-07-08T04:47:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T04:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/786238\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T04:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T04:47:11","slug":"d-orbit-signs-launch-services-contract-with-arkedge-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/786238\/","title":{"rendered":"D-Orbit signs launch-services contract with ArkEdge Space"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN FRANCISCO \u2013 Italian space logistics specialist D-Orbit will provide a series of launches aboard its ION Satellite Carrier for Japanese startup ArkEdge Space, under a contract announced July 8 in Japan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the most significant contracts\u00a0D-Orbit\u00a0has signed to date,\u201d Matteo Andreas Lorenzoni, D-Orbit Orbital Access Business Unit director, told SpaceNews by email. \u201cIt represents real momentum in our Asia-Pacific expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n

D-Orbit will send ArkEdge satellites to sun-synchronous orbit in 2027 and 2028. The companies are not disclosing the number of launches. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat matters most is the cadence. ArkEdge Space needs dependable, recurring access to\u00a0orbit\u00a0for its constellation programs,\u201d Lorenzoni said. \u201cThat\u2019s what this contract secures.\u201d<\/p>\n

The contract also is \u201can important milestone\u201d for D-Orbit\u2019s campaign to expand its presence in Japan, \u201ca market we see as strategically vital to our growth,\u201d Lorenzoni said. \u201cJapan has one of the fastest-growing space sectors in the world, and ArkEdge Space is one of its leading satellite developers. Working with them anchors ION as the logistics backbone for the country\u2019s small-satellite industry and validates the direction we\u2019ve been building toward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"D-Orbit launched its 23rd In-Orbit Now (ION) Satellite Carrier July 7, 2026, on SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 Transporter-17 rideshare mission. Credit: SpaceX<\/p>\n

Marubeni\u2019s role<\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s Marubeni Corp., a D-Orbit investor and commercial partner<\/a>, played a key role in forging D\u2019Orbit\u2019s launch-services agreement with ArkEdge. <\/p>\n

\u201cMarubeni has been instrumental in opening doors across the region,\u201d Lorenzoni said. \u201cJapan isn\u2019t just an important market on its own, it\u2019s the foundation for a broader ambition: becoming a reliable logistics partner for the space sector across all of Asia.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Marubeni, \u201cbringing ArkEdge Space and D-Orbit together is exactly the kind of partnership we want to enable, and a clear step toward building a stronger space ecosystem across Japan and the wider APAC region,\u201d Ash Takao, Marubeni Space Division general manager and D-Orbit sales development manager, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

D-Orbit aims to become \u201cthe logistics backbone for Asia\u2019s small-satellite sector,\u201d Lorenzoni said. \u201cConcretely, that means pairing Japan\u2019s excellence in satellite design and mass production with our European leadership in in-orbit\u00a0logistics, strengthening the supply chain that gets small satellites to\u00a0orbit\u00a0quickly and cost-effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Constellation deployment<\/p>\n

Lorenzoni said the contract also underscores the industry\u2019s evolution from sending satellites into any available orbit to designing constellations that require access to \u201cprecise orbital slots.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, \u201claunch and deployment are moving from being treated as a cost to be minimized, to being an active part of how a constellation actually delivers on its mission,\u201d Lorenzoni said. \u201cThat\u2019s a meaningful evolution for the whole sector.\u201d<\/p>\n

ArkEdge, founded in 2018, specializes in microsatellite constellations, providing planning and design services, mass production and operations. To date, the Tokyo-based company, has supported constellations for maritime communications, positioning, navigation and timing, Earth observation, lunar infrastructure and deep-space exploration.<\/p>\n

D-Orbit\u2019s ION has completed 23 missions. With the most recent ION, launched July 7, the orbital transfer vehicle has deployed 144 satellites and hosted 83 payloads.<\/p>\n

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