Orbex
Developed the Prime micro-launch vehicle for dedicated small satellite missions to LEO, using bio-propane fuel and 3D-printed engines
Orbex was a UK-based orbital launch services company that developed the Prime micro-launch vehicle for dedicated small satellite missions. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Forres, Scotland, the company designed a two-stage rocket standing 19 meters tall with a 200 kg payload capacity to low Earth orbit. Prime used bio-propane (BioLPG) fuel, cutting carbon emissions by up to 96 percent compared to kerosene-fueled rockets, and featured 3D-printed single-piece rocket engines.
Orbex operated design and production facilities in Denmark alongside its Scottish headquarters and was the lead tenant of Space Hub Sutherland spaceport on the A'Mhoine peninsula. The company secured over $163 million in funding from private investors and public sources. Orbex entered administration in February 2026 after its Series D funding round failed and acquisition talks with The Exploration Company collapsed.
Designs, manufactures, and launches small-lift orbital rockets powered by single-piece 3D-printed semi-cryogenic engines for dedicated small-satellite missions
Develops solid and liquid-fueled launch vehicles including the Hyperbola series, with China's first privately-built orbital rocket and a reusable methane rocket in development