Orbex Chooses Altair Test Software

At last week’s Farnborough Air Show (FIA) 2024, Orbex announced the selection of a new supplier, Altair, as it prepares to introduce orbital launch services to the UK.

Above: Orbex CEO Phil Chamber with James R. Scapa, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Altair.
Courtesy of Orbex

Altair will provide Orbex with access to Altair HyperWorks, its design and simulation platform with a focus on leading solutions in structural simulation, composite design and additive manufacturing, to support the orbital services provider as it prepares for its first launch.

Based in Troy, Michigan, USA, Altair’s mission is to use computational science to drive innovation and intelligent decision-making within organizations, resulting in better, more efficient, and more sustainable products.

Orbex is currently building the Sutherland Spaceport from which it will vertically launch small satellites into low Earth orbit using its Orbex Prime micro launcher. As it prepares to become fully operational as a launch service provider, Orbex is forming new contracts with suppliers to support it on this journey.

Dr. Pietro Cervellera, Senior Vice President, Aerospace & Defense at Altair, said: “We are proud to partner with Orbex and support their efforts to develop and launch small satellites. Access to space was once the domain of a few government organizations, but innovative teams like Orbex are rapidly changing that paradigm. By leveraging Altair’s world-class AI-based design and simulation technologies in their new product development programs, we look forward to seeing what Orbex will achieve in the near future.”

Phil Chambers, CEO at Orbex, added: “With a strong focus on quality and sustainability, suppliers are a critical part of our launch journey and each contract – like the one with Altair – brings us one step closer to delivering orbital launch services from the UK. This software will enable the team to analyse launch vehicle components prior to the manufacturing process, ensuring performance of the results and streamlining product manufacturing.”

The latest agreement with Altair follows the news that Orbex agreed in May to have MSP supply technology to automate the production of components.

Orbex is a British spaceflight company with its headquarters, manufacturing and test facilities in Scotland and design and test facilities in Denmark.